Ashish Ranjan
The much-anticipated men’s Asia Cup 2023 schedule was released on Wednesday, with the iconic match between India and Pakistan scheduled for September 2 in Kandy. India’s contests in this year’s Asia Cup were the subject of considerable speculation after the tournament was originally scheduled to take place in Pakistan. Earlier this month, it was reported that BCCI and PCB officials met in Durban, where it was ultimately determined that India would play their Asia Cup games in Sri Lanka.
The epic clash between the two bitter adversaries takes place in Kandy, while co-hosts Pakistan and Nepal face off in the tournament’s opening match on August 30. The championship is held on September 17 in Colombo. In the 2023 ODI edition, India, Pakistan, and Nepal are placed in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are placed in Group B.
It will be the first time that two countries will co-host the Asia Cup.Pakistan will hold four matches, while Sri Lanka will host the remaining nine. In addition, this is the first Asia Cup tournament to be held on the subcontinent since Bangladesh hosted the 2016 tournament. Since then, the 2018 and 2022 Asia Cups have been held in the United Arab Emirates.
Asia Cup 2023 Complete Schedule
| Date | Group Stage | Venue |
| 30th August | Pakistan vs Nepal | Multan |
| 31st August | Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka | Kandy |
| 2nd September | Pakistan vs India | Kandy |
| 3rd September | Bangladesh vs Afghanistan | Lahore |
| 4th September | India vs Nepal | Kandy |
| 5th September | Afghanistan vs Sri lanka | Lahore |
| Date | Super 4s | Venue |
| 6th September | A1 vs B2 | Lahore |
| 9th September | B1 vs B2 | Colombo |
| 10th September | A1 vs A2 | Colombo |
| 12th September | A2 vs B1 | Colombo |
| 14th September | A1 vs B1 | Colombo |
| 15th September | A2 vs B2 | Colombo |
Similar to the 2022 tournament, the top two teams will qualify for the Super Fours, where each team will play each other once. The top two teams will qualify for the championship game. India and Pakistan could meet three times within a two-week period during the 2023 Asia Cup. The two teams will also encounter on October 15 at the ICC World Cup in Ahmedabad.
Nepal will make its début in the 16th edition of the continental tournament; the team qualified for Asia Cup in May after defeating the UAE in the final of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup. Additionally, the senior team is presently competing in the Emerging Team Asia Cup.
