Beginning on August 30 in Multan, the Asia Cup 2023 One-Day International competition saw host Pakistan beat Nepal by 238 runs. Six teams are spread into two groups for the competition. The tournament will happen in a double-round-robin format. For the Super 4 stage, the top two teams from each group will advance.
There are three teams in Group A, namely India, Pakistan, and Nepal, and three nations in Group B, namely Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. With the top two teams moving on to the Super Four round. The final will take place on September 17th.
Asia Cup 2023: Review
The tournament will take place in a 50-over format, unlike the previous year, to give teams more time to get ready for the next One-Day International World Cup, which will take place in October-November. The ACC has revealed the dates and location of the Asia Cup 2023. There will be 13 games in the event, nine of which will happen in Sri Lanka and four in Pakistan.
The five full members were directly qualified. But Nepal see their qualification for the first time through the 2023 ACC Men’s Premier Cup, which was played in April/May in Nepal and won by beating UAE in the final match.
The tournament will have five full members of the Asian Cricket Council: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Nepal, who qualified by winning the 2023 ACC Men’s Premier Cup, has now joined them. The competition will take place in a “hybrid format” for the first time, with the games happening in two nations.
Except for India, which declined to visit Pakistan because of opposition from the Indian Government, all teams will play at least a few games there. The dates and format of the tournament were confirmed when the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) released the structure and calendar for 2023 and 2024 in January 2023.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament is set to take place in 2021. But now it will take place in 2023. In July 2023, the fixtures for the tournament were announced.
Most Successful Teams In Asia Cup
India has the most Asia Cup 2023 titles, with seven titles (1984, 1988, 1990, 1995, 2010, 2016 & 2018).
Sri Lanka has five titles (1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014 & 2022).
Pakistan has won two titles (2000 and 2012).
Bangladesh have been Runner-up in 2012, 2016, & 2018
Who Will Win Asia Cup 2023? Predictions
The winner of the Asia Cup 2023 is tough to predict because cricket is unpredictable. With Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other vital cricketing countries in Asia playing, the competition will be fierce. Each team has talented players and the will to take the title.
After beating Pakistan in the 2017 Asia Cup final, Sri Lanka is the reigning champion. In contrast, the Indian team was struggling and was unable to reach the championship game. The Indian team would therefore aim to perform better in the competition this year.
However, given the conditions, based on their current show, we may say that Pakistan can win the Asia Cup in 2023. First and foremost, the Pakistani team has done very well lately under the leadership of Babar Azam. They swept Afghanistan in an ODI series in Lanka with a score of 3-0 and defeated Sri Lanka by a score of 2-0 at home.
Second, Pakistan has a big history of winning pitches in the Subcontinent. Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Haris Rauf are three lethal pacers whom the men in green have at their disposal and who have the ability to change the course of the game at any point. especially if they are played on Asian surfaces.
Babar Azam, a legend of Pakistani batting, has been in outstanding form, which is promising. Pakistani players can win the trophy for the team a third time, despite the fact that Sri Lanka upset them in last year’s Asia Cup final.
Group A
Pakistan won their opening match against Nepal and earned a point from its loss to India to finish first in group A and go to the Super 4. India then moved to the next round after beating Nepal by 10 wickets in a game.
Group B
In Pallekele, Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by five wickets to begin their campaign. Then, Bangladesh came back by defeating Afghanistan by 89 runs to get to the semifinals. In the decisive match, Sri Lanka defeat Afghanistan by two runs to clinch the fourth and final Super 4 position.
