On Wednesday, the schedule for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 was announced, and it had India and Pakistan drafted in the same group. This will be the 16th edition of the Asia Cup, which will be played in a 50-over format. Sri Lanka will enter the tournament as the defending champions after beating Pakistan in the final last time.
Six teams will take part, which are divided into two groups of three. India, Pakistan, and Nepal are in Group B, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are in Group A. The tournament will start with a match between Pakistan and Nepal on August 30.
The much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan will take place on September 2 in Pallekele. With Nepal in their group, both India and Pakistan are expected to qualify from their groups for the Super Four. These two teams can also play in the Super Four.
But if India and Pakistan can finish the next round at the top, then there are chances that we might see a final between India and Pakistan. So there are chances for three ODI games between two archrivals. Reacting to the schedule, India’s head coach Rahul Dravid said that they will take it one step at a time.
🎥 With the #AsiaCup2023 fixtures announced, here's what #TeamIndia Head Coach Rahul Dravid said 🔽 pic.twitter.com/ycEWukD5zW
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 19, 2023
Dravid said, “The schedule is out and you have to qualify for the Super4s to play Pakistan three times, so one step at a time. I don’t believe in counting my chickens too much. I want to play one game at a time. We aim to reach the finals, and hopefully Pakistan reach finals as well”
He also said that the aim is very clear: to go and perform to reach the final and win the cup. If both India and Pakistan qualify from their groups, they will play in the Super Four on September 9 in Colombo. Meanwhile, the final can be the third time these two teams meet on September 17 at R. Premadasa Stadium.
