Asia Cup 2023: Pallekele Likely To Host Sri Lanka Leg Of Matches

image-ljzpyegeAsia Cup 2023 is due to start in late August [Source: Twitter]

The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium has emerged as one of the likely contenders to stage the Sri Lanka leg of matches at the much-awaited Asia Cup 2023. The tournament itself will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and Pakistan, after the BCCI had expressed their concerns in sending the Indian team to the latter of the two nations.

Pallekele, Dambula might host Asia Cup 2023 fixtures

The Asia Cup 2023 is set to be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and Pakistan between August 31 and September 17 this year, however, the venues and fixtures are yet to be finalised. The tournament will serve as a testing ground for the top five subcontinental sides for the ODI World Cup in India later this year.

Initially, the Asian ODI competition was to be hosted by Pakistan in its entirety. The decision was later revised after the BCCI had expressed their unwillingness in sending their Indian team to Pakistan citing security issues and prevailing political tensions between the two countries.

A new resolution was passed by the ACC which allowed Pakistan to host four non-India matches, while the remaining nine games of the competition were allotted to Sri Lanka.

As per recent reports, the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Sri Lanka’s Kandy region is being considered as a likely venue for Asia Cup 2023 matches. The Dambulla International Stadium may also get to host a few non-India fixtures; however, no official announcement has been made yet.

The tournament, going back to its ODI roots for the first time since 2018, will be played between six teams this year. Three teams are divided into two groups each, with India, Pakistan and Nepal forming Group A, and Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka constituting Group B.

India and Pakistan are set to face each other at least twice, if not three times in this edition.