 "Asia Cup 2023 schedule: India vs Pakistan on September 2 in Kandy")
The much-anticipated schedule for the men's Asia Cup was announced on Wednesday, with the iconic clash between India and Pakistan taking place on September 2 in Kandy.
There was considerable speculation this year about India's matches in the Asia Cup after it was originally scheduled to be held in Pakistan.
Earlier this month, it was reported that officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) met in Durban and decided that India would play Asia Cup games in Sri Lanka.
The showdown between the two arch-rivals will take place in Kandy, while co-hosts Pakistan will face Nepal in the tournament's opening match on August 30. Meanwhile, the final match will take place on September 17 in Colombo.
India, Pakistan and Nepal are placed in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan make Group B in the 2023 edition, which will be played in the One Day International (ODI) format.
It will be the first time that two countries will co-host the Asia Cup. While Pakistan will host four matches, Sri Lanka will host the remaining nine.
This is also the first Asia Cup to be held in the sub-continent since the tournament in Bangladesh in 2016. The Asia Cups in 2018 and 2022 have since been held in the United Arab Emirates.
A detailed look at the Asia Cup schedule
| Date | Group | Stage Venue |
| August 30 | Pakistan vs Nepal | Multan |
| August 31 | Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka | Kandy |
| September 2 | Pakistan vs India | Kandy |
| September 4 | India vs Nepal | Kandy |
| September 5 | Afghanistan vs Sri lanka | Lahore |
| Date | Super 4s | Venue |
| 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 |
Asia Cup 2023 final
| September 17 | Super 4s - 1 vs 2 | Colombo |
Like the 2022 edition, the top two teams will qualify for the Super Fours, where each team will face the other once. The top two teams will then qualify for the final.
While the 2023 Asia Cup could see India and Pakistan meeting thrice in a fortnight, both the teams will also meet in the ICC World Cup in Ahmedabad on October 15.