The upcoming Asian Games 2023, held in Hangzhou, China, is wiping up great excitement among cricket fans, by showcasing both men’s and women’s T20 cricket tournaments. Four top-seeded teams, namely India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, will ratchet up the excitement, entering directly into the quarter-finals, promising some pulse-pounding cricket showdowns.
Following a five-year absence from the Asian Games in 2018, cricket is making a much-anticipated return to the world’s second-largest sports event.
The men’s T20 cricket tournament is set to open on September 27 and will conclude with the enthralling bronze and gold medal matches on October 7. The cricket tournament showcases 15 formidable teams, including top-seeded nations that will stretch their cricketing prowess, beginning from the quarter-finals. The rest of the teams, totaling 11, will flex their prowess in the group stage. the winners from this stage will then spar with the top four in the quarter-finals.
The structure of the men’s T20 cricket tournament for the Asian Games 2023 extends beyond group stages and also includes direct entries into the quarter-finals. Teams fall into four groups for the starting phase.
Group A includes Afghanistan and Mongolia; Cambodia, Japan, and Nepal make up Group B; Group C consists of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand, and in Group D, Malaysia, Bahrain, and Maldives compete.
Notably, top-seeded teams- India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh- have the advantage of direct entry into the quarter-finals, bypassing the group stages and adding an extra layer of thrill and anticipation.
Cricket enthusiasts can catch all the live action by streaming the matches on Sony Liv or by tuning into the Sony Sports Network TV channels in India.
Both the men’s and women’s tournaments will be played at the Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field, promising an exhilarating cricket viewing experience.
The schedule for the men’s cricket at the Asian Games 2023 specifies matches involving the top-ranked teams and the quarter-finalists, with dates and times listed. The cricket schedule concludes with the bronze and gold medal matches on October 7.
The 2023 T20 World Cup quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals will be played on the following dates and times:
October 3, Tuesday: India (1st ranked team) vs. TBD, 6:30 AM
October 3, Tuesday: Pakistan (2nd ranked team) vs. TBD, 11:30 AM
October 4, Wednesday: Sri Lanka (3rd ranked team) vs. TBD, 6:30 AM
October 4, Wednesday: Bangladesh (4th ranked team) vs. TBD, 11:30 AM
October 6, Friday: Winner QF 1 vs. Winner QF 4, 6:30 AM
October 6, Friday: Winner QF 2 vs. Winner QF 3, 11:30 AM
October 7, Saturday: Loser SF 1 vs. Loser SF 2, 3rd/4th match (Bronze medal), 6:30 AM
October 7, Saturday: Winner SF 1 vs. Winner SF 2, Final (Gold medal), 11:30 AM
Indian squad for Asian Games
On Saturday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revised their 15-member line-up for the Indian men’s cricket team, set to play in the upcoming 2023 Asian Games. They also named five reserve players for the games, due to take place in Hangzhou, China, between September 23 and October 8.
This latest player list revision includes one change from the initial line-up, announced back in July. Injured Shivam Mavi, who was originally selected, has had to step down, with Akash Deep taking his place on the Indian men’s cricket team roster. Mavi is still recovering from a back injury and has been ruled unfit to travel to Hangzhou.
The current Team India consists of Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh (wicket-keeper), and Akash Deep.
The standby players are Yash Thakur, Sai Kishore, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, and Sai Sudarsan.