Asia Cup 2023 to take place from August 31 to September 17; ACC approves hybrid model involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka 

The 2023 edition of the Asia Cup will take place in Pakistan and Sri Lanka as per the proposed hybrid model. The tournament will be held from August 31 to September 17, with Pakistan hosting four matches while Sri Lanka hosting the remaining nine matches.

The 16th edition of the competition will adopt the same format as the previous editions. The six teams, including maiden participants Nepal, will initially play in the group stage. Among the three members of the group, the top two will qualify for the Super Four stage, where each team will face each other in a round-robin format.

Upon the culmination of the Super Four stage, the top two will qualify for the final and play for the trophy. Sri Lanka are the defending champions having won the title in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in September last year.

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) released a statement after the hybrid model was approved at the meeting following a lengthy back-and-forth battle.

"We are delighted to announce that the Asia Cup 2023 will be held from 31st August to 17th September 2023 and will see the elite teams from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal, compete in a total of 13 exciting ODI matches," the statement read.

"The tournament will be hosted in a hybrid model with four matches being held in Pakistan, and the remaining nine matches being played in Sri Lanka. The 2023 Edition will feature two groups, with two teams from each group qualifying for the Super Four stage. The top two teams from the Super Four stage will then face off in the final," the statement continued

According to a report by Cricbuzz, Lahore is expected to host the four matches assigned to Pakistan in the Asia Cup schedule.

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Asia Cup 2023 will be played in the ODI format

In 2022, the competition was contested in a T20 format, keeping the subsequent T20 World Cup 2022 in mind. The edition marked only the second time that the tournament switched away from the traditional ODI format after 2016, which was due to the same reason.

The upcoming edition, however, will witness the tournament revert back to the original format. The matches being played in the ODI format will help the teams as well as the tournament marks an important phase in their preparation for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India in the October-November window.

Who will win the 2023 Asia Cup? Let us know what you think.