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- Published: August 30, 2023 13:28
New Delhi: August 30, 2023, was the date every cricket fan in Asia was waiting for as the Asia Cup 2023 will begin today with the host nation Pakistan taking the field against the rising stars of Nepal.
Pakistan’s opening match at the Asia Cup 2023 will also be their first match after reaching the summit of the ICC ODI rankings after whitewashing Afghanistan by 3-0 earlier this month.
Congratulations! Top-ranked ODI side 🙌#AFGvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/3P1OmA8tqf
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 26, 2023
This will also be a historic moment for the Nepalese national team as this will be their first time playing against Pakistan on the international circuit.
On the one hand, Pakistan will be looking to make an early statement before their much-anticipated clash against the Indian team on September 2.
.@CricketNep are all set for their Asia Cup debut.#AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/bvHD54K0nW
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 29, 2023
On the other hand, Nepal will be looking to add some drama to the tournament by making an early upset against the last edition’s runner-ups.
Interestingly, despite Pakistan having the sole hosting rights for this edition of the tournament, the matches will be played in both Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The decision to organize matches in two nations was made by ICC after BCCI refused to send their team to Pakistan for diplomatic reasons.
Nonetheless, this will be going to be an interesting tournament as this will also be the final big match practice session for the Asian giants before the start of the World Cup later this year.
Notably, Pakistan released their playing 11 list against Nepal a day before on August 29.
Our playing XI for the first match of #AsiaCup2023 🇵🇰#BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/U8KaRXDqHH
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 29, 2023
The match between Pakistan and Nepal will begin at 15:00 Hrs, IST, and will be played at Multan International Cricket Stadium in Pakistan.
The match will be broadcast on Star sports networks and will be live-streamed on the Disney+ Hotstar website and app.