The fixtures of the Asia Cup was announced on Wednesday with the much anticipated India vs Pakistan encounter scheduled for September 2 in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
The arch rivals, who’ve slotted in Group A alongside Nepal may possibly face each other three times in 15 days upon progression to the Super 4 and the final.
The tournament will begin on August 30 and run until September 17.
The six-team ODI tournament, which is a pre-cursor to the ICC World Cup will start in Multan where hosts Pakistan takes on Nepal.
Meanwhile, after facing their arch-rivals in the tournament-opener, Rohit Sharma-led team India will have a one-day break before they face Nepal on September 4 at Kandy.
The release shared by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Jay Shah said Pakistan will remain A1 and India will remain A2 irrespective of their positions after the first round. If either of them does not qualify, Nepal will take their position. If India and Pakistan both qualify, they will face each other again at Colombo on September 10.
Similarly, in Group B, Sri Lanka will remain B1 and Bangladesh will remain B2. If any of these teams do not make it to Super 4s, Afghanistan will take their position.
Earlier in June, The Asian Cricket Council had announced the schedule of the hybrid model Asia Cup with four matches being held in Pakistan, and the remaining nine matches being played in Sri Lanka.
Bilateral cricket has been a victim of strained political ties between India and Pakistan over the last decade and a half and the neighbouring countries now play each other only in multi-team events at neutral venues.
The Indian board had cited safety concerns and has ruled out travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in September, which prompted the PCB to offer India the option of playing their matches in the United Arab Emirates in what has been dubbed a ‘hybrid model’.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal will participate in the tournament which has a total of 13 ODI matches.
The tournament will feature two groups of three teams apiece this year with the top two making it to the Super Four stage.
The top two teams of the Super Four then play the final on September 17.
India, Pakistan and Nepal are in one group while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan form the other.
The fixtures are as follows:
Group stage:
August 30: Pakistan vs Nepal, Multan
August 31: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Kandy
September 2: India vs Pakistan, Kandy
September 3: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Lahore
September 4: India vs Nepal, Kandy
September 5: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, Lahore
Super 4s stage:
September 6: A1 vs B2, Lahore
September 9: B1 vs B2, Colombo
September 10: A1 vs A2, Colombo
September 12: A2 vs B1, Colombo
September 14: A1 vs B1, Colombo
September 15: A2 vs B2, Colombo
September 17: Final, Colombo.
The fixtures of the Asia Cup was announced on Wednesday with the much anticipated India vs Pakistan encounter scheduled for September 2 in Kandy, Sri Lanka
