After months of dispute between the cricket boards of India and Pakistan, the eagerly anticipated official schedule of the Asia Cup has been revealed. Pakistan has successfully retained the hosting rights for this prestigious tournament; however, they will only host four out of the 13 matches. The competition will feature other formidable teams such as Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, creating a highly competitive field for the ODI tournament.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made considerable efforts to prevent four matches from being relocated outside the country, advocating for a hybrid hosting model. Since the BCCI’s firm stance in October of last year against playing in Pakistan, the PCB has experienced three changes in leadership, each putting forward slightly different approaches during negotiations.
The Asia Cup is set to begin on August 30 with the opening match between Pakistan and Nepal in Multan. Additionally, three other matches will be held in Lahore, including a potentially thrilling Pakistan Super 4 encounter on September 6.
The rest of the matches will be hosted in Sri Lanka, with three taking place in Kandy and six in Colombo. The tournament will conclude with the final match on September 17.
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The highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash will be a round-robin match held in Kandy on September 2. Fans can also anticipate a rematch during the Super 4 stage, scheduled for September 10 in Colombo.
The match on September 10 will feature the top two teams from Group A, meaning India and Pakistan are likely to face each other in this encounter, considering Nepal is the third team in the group. As for the final on September 17, it will be contested between the top two teams from the Super Four stage. If India and Pakistan manage to secure the top positions in the Super Four, they will have a chance to play against each other for the third time in the tournament, which will be held in Colombo.