Asia Cup 2018 schedule announced

Arch rivals India and Pakistan will square off in Dubai after drawing in the same group for this year’s Asia Cup, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced on late on Tuesday.

The two traditional rivals play each other on September 19 in Dubai, the first time they will face off on the UAE soil since 2006.

It will also mark the first time the two teams battle in Dubai; they have previously played 24 ODIs in Sharjah and two in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan have been overwhelmingly dominant in the Emirates, winning 19 of the contests.

India suspended bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan after the 2008 Mumbai attacks but the two teams continue to play each other in international tournaments, including the ICC Champions Trophy final in England last year.

The Asia Cup will feature 50-overs games between Full Members India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and a sixth team. The sixth team will be determined by a qualifying tournament — which runs from Aug 29 to Sept 6 — that includes United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hong Kong, Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia and Oman.

The biennial tournament will begin Sept 15 in with Sri Lanka taking on Bangladesh in the opener, the ACC said.

Schedule:

Sept 15: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka (Dubai).

Sept 16: Pakistan vs Qualifier (Dubai).

Sept 17: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi).

Sept 18: India vs Qualifier (Dubai).

Sept 19: India vs Pakistan (Dubai).

Sept 20: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi).

Super Four:

Sept 21: Group ‘A’ Winners vs Group ‘B’ Runners-up (Dubai).

Sept 21: Group ‘B’ Winners vs Group ‘A’ Runners-up (Abu Dhabi).

Sept 23: Group ‘A’ Winners vs Group ‘A’ Runners-up (Dubai).

Sept 23: Group ‘B’ Winners vs Group ‘B’ Runners-up (Abu Dhabi).

Sept 25: Group ‘A’ Winners vs Group ‘B’ Winners (Dubai).

Sept 26: Group ‘A’ Runners-up v Group ‘B’ Runners-up (Abu Dhabi).

Sept 28: Final (Dubai).