What If India, Pakistan, & Sri Lanka Pooled Into Same Group in Asia Cup 2023?
Rohit & Babar having a light chat during T20 World Cup 2022 (X.com)
"Roses are red, violets are blue, I can imagine anything in fiction, and so can you."
In spite of Bangladesh and Afghanistan's recent rise, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka remain Asia's three most powerful cricketing nations. There is no doubt that the Asia Cup 2023 will be another thrilling competition as it prepares to begin on August 30, with Nepal joining the aforementioned five nations in their pursuit of the elusive trophy.
Everything you need to know about Asia Cup 2023
Nepal will join India and Pakistan in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh are placed in Group B. Two teams from each group will advance to the Super Four, and there, whoever finishes in the first two places will have a title shot in the ultimate finale.
The Asia Cup 2023 will begin with Pakistan taking on Nepal at Multan Cricket Stadium. Given that the ODI World Cup – the grandest event of them all – will start right after this, the Asia Cup will be a 50-over competition as part of the preparations. It will end on September 17, with Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium hosting the final. The World Cup, meanwhile, will commence on October 5.
What would happen if Sri Lanka joined India & Pakistan in Group A of Asia Cup 2023?
Since the qualifications have already been discussed, it is clear that if India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka had been placed in the same group, one of them would have been automatically eliminated from the Asia Cup 2023 even before the Super Four stage. Wouldn't it have been more exciting if every game from the start of the tournament became a do-or-die affair?
India are a record seven-time Asia Cup winner. Sri Lanka, the defending champions, hold the second-best record having lifted the trophy on six occasions. Meanwhile, Pakistan, currently the No. 1 ODI team in the world, have won the trophy twice. Bangladesh have reached the final three times since the tournament’s introduction in 1984, although they finished as runner-ups in each one of them.
| Team | Asia Cup winners | Asia Cup runner-ups |
|---|---|---|
| India | 7 | 3 |
| Sri Lanka | 6 | 6 |
| Pakistan | 2 | 3 |
| Bangladesh | 0 | 3 |
Why is this article important?
The reason behind writing this article is simple. Last year, when the Asia Cup took place in the UAE, India and Pakistan went up against each other in the group stage. What was the result? India successfully chased down 148 with five wickets and two balls spare. Then, the Men in Blue missed out on the final by enduring a defeat (by the same margin) against their arch-rivals in the Super Four stage.
What was the significance of the earlier match at a showpiece event? If they play a match that simply doesn’t add value, what is the purpose of playing? They could have easily played a warm-up match before the tournament’s commencement if that’s the case.
Why are India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka not in same group of Asia Cup 2023?
Of course, there is a reason why Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and India were not placed in the same group. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) knows the impact India versus Pakistan can have on the cricketing world, so they belong to the same group. Additionally, the viewership and TRP will suffer if one of the heavyweights get eliminated in the first round. More importantly, the other three nations are not equally strong either, at least on paper.
Therefore, this 'what if' will remain a fictional story instead of a reality.
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