The schedule of the Asia Cup 2023 has finally been made public. It was announced earlier today by the president of the Asian Cricket Council, Jay Shah. The tournament is set to take place in both Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The ACC president revealed the schedule in his tweet and wrote: “I am happy to announce the schedule for the highly anticipated Men’s ODI Asia Cup 2023, a symbol of unity and togetherness binding diverse nations together! Let’s join hands in the celebration of cricketing excellence and cherish the bonds that connect us all.”
Details about the Tournament
This year’s Asia Cup will happen according to the hybrid model, meaning Pakistan and Sri Lanka both would be the hosts. As the all-important ODI World Cup is also going to be played this year, Asia Cup would also be played in a 50-over format. A total of 13 games would be played. A total of 6 teams would be participating. The tournament was earlier said to begin on 31st August. However, now the first match will be on 30th August.
The teams are divided into two groups. Group A consists of Pakistan, India, and Nepal. Group B consists of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
The teams having the top two spots in both groups will go to the super four stage. Teams who would clear the super four stage would get themselves a ticket to the final. There is also a reserve day for the final in case of any inconvenience such as rain.
Schedule for Asia Cup 2023
Multan will be hosting the opening match while Colombo will be hosting the final game. Due to the hybrid model, Pakistan will only be able to host a total of four games while the rest of them are set to be played in Sri Lanka.
| # | Date | Matches | Round – Group | Venue |
| 1 | Aug 30 | Pakistan vs Nepal | R1 – A | Multan |
| 2 | Aug 31 | Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | R1 – B | Kandy |
| 3 | Sept 2 | Pakistan vs India | R1 – A | Kandy |
| 4 | Sept 3 | Afghanistan vs Bangladesh | R1 – B | Lahore |
| 5 | Sept 4 | India vs Nepal | R1 – A | Kandy |
| 6 | Sept 5 | Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan | R1 – B | Lahore |
| 7 | Sept 6 | A1 vs B2 | Super 4 | Lahore |
| 8 | Sept 9 | B1 vs B2 | Super 4 | Colombo |
| 9 | Sept 10 | A1 vs A2 | Super 4 | Colombo |
| 10 | Sept 12 | A2 vs B1 | Super 4 | Colombo |
| 11 | Sept 14 | A1 vs B1 | Super 4 | Colombo |
| 12 | Sept 15 | A2 vs B2 | Super 4 | Colombo |
| 13 | Sept 17 | Final | Colombo |
Why did the schedule for the Asia Cup 2023 come out so late?
The reason for the delay in the schedule for Asia Cup 2023 was because of discussions going on between the new chairman of PCB and ACC. Zaka Ashraf also met with Jay Shah recently. He wanted Pakistan to be able to host more games. Unfortunately, Pakistan still has just 4 games. India’s refusal to play in Pakistan led to the birth of the hybrid model, which in turn made the schedule for Asia Cup 2023 a bit complicated.
Sri Lanka, the defending champions, would be looking to defend their title while the other teams would be wanting to become the defending champions themselves.
