Rahul Dravid the head coach of Team India, has brushed down the speculation that the Men in Blue would play Pakistan three times during the next Asia’s Cup 2023. He said their initial goal would be to go to the Super 4s, and they would move on from there.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced the itinerary for the 2023 Asia Cup on Wednesday, July 19. The tournament will take place in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. According to the same, on September 2 in Kandy, India will play Pakistan.
If Pakistan also makes it to the Super 4, they might face one other again if India qualifies for the tournament. If both teams advance to the top match, which will take place on September 17 in Colombo, an Indo-Pak final may possibly be on the cards.
Dravid was questioned about his thoughts on the possibility of several Indo-Pak matches in the Asia Cup at a news conference held prior to the second India vs. West Indies Test in Trinidad. He answered:
The schedule is available, and in order to play Pakistan three times in the Super 4s, you must first qualify. I don’t think it’s wise to overly count my hens. I am aware that our first two games would be against Pakistan and Nepal. That is what we need to concentrate on, good cricket. After that, we can assess how the tournament develops if we win those games.
Adding to the speculation over the likelihood of multiple meetings between India and Pakistan during the competition:
It’s amazing if we have the chance to play them three times. That indicates that we have advanced to the tournament’s final, and hopefully Pakistan has as well. That competition will be fantastic for us as well. We definitely want to play all the way to the championship, so that is our goal. Before winning the final, though, we must first complete the first two steps.
Asia’s Cup 2023 group match schedule with IST times
Pakistan vs. Nepal, Group A, First Match, August 30, Multan, 3:30 PM
Second Match, Group B, Pallekele, Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka, August 31, 2:00 PM
Pakistan vs. India, Group A, third match, Pallekele, September 2, 2:00 PM
Afghanistan vs. Bangladesh, Group B, Fourth Match, September 3, Lahore, 3:30 PM
India vs. Nepal, Group A, Fifth Match, September 4, Pallekele, 2:00 PM
Afghanistan vs. Sri Lanka, Group B, sixth match, September 5, Lahore, 3:30
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