Team India will begin their Asia Cup 2023 campaign against Pakistan on September 5 at the Pallekele International Stadium, Sportskeeda understands. The continental showpiece will be played in a hybrid model starting August 31.
India will then take on minnows Nepal at the same venue on September 7, following which they will again square up against their arch-rivals in a Super Four fixture on September 10. It will of course be subject to both teams’ qualification.
Rohit Sharma’s boys will play all their matches at Pallekele, which is located at a suburb in Kandy. Though the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is yet to officially release the schedule, the final is also set to be staged at the same ground.
The development comes amidst increasing back-and-forth regarding the venues. While on one hand, Pakistan sports minister Ehsan Mazari is insisting that India travel to their country, new Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf gave a go-ahead to the hybrid model, on the other.
The tournament opener will be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium between hosts Pakistan and Nepal. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will also play all their league games in Lahore in the subsequent days. All teams, save the last-placed one in the other group, will then proceed for Sri Lanka.
While the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, which is starting tomorrow, is being held in Colombo, the stakeholders narrowed down on Kandy and Dambulla for the senior event. This is because, the two Central Province towns get the least rainfall during that time.
The Asgiriya Stadium – Kandy’s traditional Test centre – has been rendered handicapped because it doesn’t have floodlights. Pallekele thus became the frontrunner. The Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, which hosted the Asia Cup in 2010, stands a chance to get a few non-India matches.
How did India fare at Asia Cup 2022?
After comfortably clearing the group stage, India fell from grace in their first Super Four game. Even though Virat Kohli (60 off 44) helped India to 181 for seven, Mohammad Rizwan’s 51-ball 71 and a brilliant cameo from Mohammad Nawaz (42 off 20) saw Pakistan over the line with one ball remaining.
Sri Lanka further piled the misery on India by again reaching home with a soliary delivery left. After Rohit Sharma (72 off 41) hand-held India to 173 for eight, Bhanuka Rajapaksa (25* off 17) and Dasun Shanaka (33* off 18) counter-attacked with aplomb to put on 64 runs for the fifth wicket off just 34 balls.
The seven-time champions went out in the Super Four stage, but not before Virat Kohli ended his century draught with a sublime 122* off 61 balls versus Afghanistan in their final fixture.