Defending champion India will face arch-rival Pakistan on September 19, the day after the Virat Kohli-led side open its Asia Cup 2018 campaign against a yet-to-be-confirmed qualifier here, the ICC announced the schedule late on Tuesday.
Asia Cup 2018
Sharja: Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka in the opener of the biennial tournament that runs from September 15 to 28, according to a statement from the International Cricket Council (ICC). India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are all confirmed participants, with the remaining spot still up for grabs amongst hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, Oman, Nepal, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Group A consists of India, Pakistan and the qualifier while Group B comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 4 and two teams will then play the final on September 28 here.
Asia Cup 2018 schedule Group stage
Sept 15 – BAN vs SRL (Dubai)
Sept 16 – PAK vs Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17 – SRL vs AFG (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18 -- IND vs Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19 – IND vs PAK (Dubai)
Sept- 20-- BAN vs AFG (Abu Dhabi)
FINAL Sept 28 Asia Cup 2018 Final (Dubai)