Colombo-stadium. (Photo Source: Twitter)
India’s opening game of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 tournament was hampered due to rain. Against Pakistan, the Men in Blue won the toss and decided to bat first, but the game was halted on two different occasions. The second innings was completely abandoned as no conclusive result was obtained.
Asian Cricket Council (ACC) does not want the same thing to happen going forward, and hence, the venue within Sri Lanka is expected to get changed. The Super Four matches and the final are slated to take place in Colombo, where there’s a lot of chance of rain in the coming weeks. Hence, the governing council is desperate to shift the venue to either Dambulla or Pallekele.
There’s no official communication regarding the same as the broadcasters and the team have shown reluctance in accepting the new development. Notably, Sri Lanka usually never host matches in the month of September due to monsoon, but since India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, the arrangement was made. Interestingly, Pakistan Cricket Board, the hosts of the tournament, offered to host the tournament in UAE as well, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials rejected the same.
An official update is expected to take place in the upcoming 24-48 hours as the fans as well as the broadcasters, are eager to know the final decision. Meanwhile, former PCB chief Najam Sethi has already taken a dig at BCCI regarding the venue change, and the matter is expected to escalate in the coming days.
On the other hand, India’s upcoming league game against Nepal is also expected to be affected due to rain. In such a case, the Men in Blue will progress to the next round as the Rohit Paudel-led side lost the first match while India bagged one point. Nevertheless, both teams are geared up for a full 50-over match.