Asia Cup 2023: Schedule, Format, Venues, Dates Announced

Asia Cup 2023: The Asia Cup cricket tournament is one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the cricket calendar. It brings together the best teams from the Asian continent to battle it out for supremacy on the field. The upcoming 16^th edition of the tournament will be played in the ODI format, to prepare the participating teams for the upcoming World Cup. 

One of the most exciting things about the Asia Cup is the intense rivalries and emotions that it creates. Matches between India and Pakistan, for example, are always highly anticipated, with millions of fans tuning in to watch the two teams battle it out on the field. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh also have a fierce rivalry, as do Afghanistan and Pakistan. These rivalries add an extra layer of excitement to the tournament and make every match feel like a must-watch event.

Asia Cup 2023 Schedule

The 16th edition of the Asia Cup is scheduled to start on August 31, with matches being hosted by both Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Pakistan will host four matches, while the remaining games will take place in Sri Lanka. The tournament will conclude with the final match on September 17.

India will play against Pakistan on September 2. 

Here is the full schedule:

ICYMI, the 16th edition of the Asia Cup will commence on 31 August.

Details ⬇️https://t.co/wgE6orLxpX

— ICC (@ICC) June 16, 2023

Asia Cup 2023 - Format

First held in 1984, the format of the Asia Cup has also evolved. In the early years, it was a simple round-robin tournament, with each team playing each other once. But as more teams were added to the tournament, a group stage format was introduced. Two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Four stage in the 2023 edition. The final will include the top two teams from the Super Four stage. This year, Nepal has qualified as the sixth nation as they defeated UAE in a low-scoring final of the ACC Men's Premier Cup 2023. The two groups include Pakistan India and Nepal in group A and Sri-Lanka Bangladesh and Afghanistan in group B. The teams will play a  total of 13 ODI matches.

Presenting the @ACCMedia1 pathway structure & cricket calendars for 2023 & 2024! This signals our unparalleled efforts & passion to take this game to new heights. With cricketers across countries gearing up for spectacular performances, it promises to be a good time for cricket! pic.twitter.com/atzBO4XjIn

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) January 5, 2023

Asia Cup 2023 Venue

The hosting country of this year’s Asia Cup was supposed to be Pakistan. Due to a thumbs down from BCCI, BCB and SLCB related to security concerns, the venue for the matches remained in qualms. Initially, PCB had proposed a hybrid model for hosting the tournament. Due to this uncertainty, Sri Lanka was the leading contender to host the Asia Cup.

Now, according to the latest notification issued by the ACC, the Asia Cup will be hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 4 matches will be hosted by Pakistan and ( matches to be played in Sri Lanka.

Asia Cup 2023 Dates

Asia Cup is held every two years and Asia Cup 2023 is scheduled to be held in September ahead of the World Cup 2023. After several debates, the Asian Cricket Council has finally announced the dates for Asia Cup 2023, The tournament will be held from August 31, and the final will be played on September 17.

The 15^th edition of the tournament was held in UAE and was won by Sri Lanka, who defeated Pakistan by 23 runs in the finals.

Implications due to Venue Changes.

The decisions made by BCCI, BCB and SLCB can have some serious implications on the cricketing relations between the three boards. After the BCCI’s refusal of sending players to Pakistan, PCB’s chief reacted strongly by stating, “After having presided over the ACC meeting during which Pakistan was awarded the ACC Asia Cup with overwhelming support and response from the ACC Board Members, Mr Shah’s statement of shifting of the ACC Asia Cup has been made unilaterally. This is contrary to the philosophy and spirit for which the Asian Cricket Council was formed in September 1983 – a united Asian cricket body to safeguard the interests of its members and organise, develop, and promote the game of cricket in Asia.”

Thank you @JayShah for unilaterally presenting @ACCMedia1 structure & calendars 2023-24 especially relating to Asia Cup 2023 for which 🇵🇰 is the event host. While you are at it, you might as well present structure & calendar of our PSL 2023! A swift response will be appreciated. https://t.co/UdW2GekAfR

— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) January 5, 2023

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