Reigning champions Sri Lanka will begin their 2023 Asia Cup campaign on August 31 against Bangladesh. This is the first time since 2018 that the showpiece event will be played in an ODI format. Since the inception of the T20I format in the Asia Cup in 2016, the tournament has alternated between T20 and ODI formats with an eye on the impending ICC global tournament.

India’s reluctance to send its squad to Pakistan and Pakistan’s threat to pull out of the World Cup led to a consensus of Pakistan and Sri Lanka co-hosting the tournament. India’s matches would be played in Sri Lanka as agreed by the boards of both countries.

Like 2018, Asia Cup 2023 will be played in the ODI format acting as a prelude to the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup in October.

Asia Cup 2023: Teams, venues, and format

Six teams will lock horns against each other across 13 matches in the 2023 Asia Cup. The sides are drawn into Groups A and B. The top two teams from both groups will advance to the Super Fours, from where two teams will proceed to the final, scheduled on September 17.

Pakistan will host four games, while Sri Lanka is entrusted to organise nine games of the round-robin tournament.

Group A: Pakistan, India, Nepal
Group B: Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2023 schedule: Full fixtures list, venues, match timings

Slotted in Group B, Sri Lanka will open their campaign on August 31 against arch nemesis Bangladesh at Pallekele International Stadium in kandy Their other group-stage match is on September 5 against Afghanistan.

Here’s Sri Lanka’s full fixtures list for Asia Cup 2023, if they qualify for the Super Fours:

Confirmed

August 31: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 1:00 pm IST
September 5: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, Lahore, Pakistan, 3:30 pm IST

Possible

September 9: B1 vs B2, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2:00 pm IST
September 12: A2 vs B1, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2:00 pm IST
September 14: A1 vs B1, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2:00 pm IST
September 17: Final (Super Fours 1 vs Super Fours 2), Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2:00 pm IST

If Sri Lanka and Bangladesh qualify from Group B, they will play the Super Fours as B1 and B2, in that order. If Afghanistan qualify, they will replace Sri Lanka as B1, or Bangladesh as B2.