India to face Pakistan in Dubai on August 28 as Asia Cup T20 fixtures announced

UAE to take part in qualifying round of tournament with final on September 11

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan scored an unbeaten fifty in a 10-wicket win over India at the T20 World Cup at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, October 24, 2021. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Pakistan' captain Babar Azam also scored an unbeaten fifty in a thumping win over India in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi rocked India's batting with the new ball on Sunday. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi celebrates the wicket of India's KL Rahul. Chris Whiteoak / The National

India captain Virat Kohli held the innings together with a fifty. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Pakistan's Hasan Ali celebrates Ravindra Jadeja's wicket. Chris Whiteoak / The National

India's Virat Kohli is caught behind off the bowling of Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Pakistan celebrate the wicket of India's Suryakumar Yadav. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Pakistan fans before the match at the Dubai International Stadium. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Pakistan and India fans at the Dubai International Stadium. Chris Whiteoak / The National

India begin their Asia Cup campaign against Pakistan in Dubai later this month – the first meeting of the two sides since their T20 World Cup match in the UAE last year.

The tournament, which has been changed to T20 format this year to prepare for the 20-over World Cup in Australia later this year, was moved out of crisis-hit Sri Lanka last month.

This edition of the tournament begins with Sri Lanka taking on Afghanistan on August 27, with the final on September 11.

The biggest draw of the tournament will be the match between India and Pakistan, which will take place in Dubai on August 28, organisers said on Tuesday as they released the tournament fixtures.

The UAE, Kuwait, Singapore and Hong Kong will play a qualifying round with the winner joining India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh in the main draw.

In the main tournament, six teams will be divided into two groups. India, Pakistan and the qualifier are in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in Group B.

The top two teams in each group qualify for the Super 4 round, where the sides will play against each other again before the top two qualify for the final.

Sri Lanka will remain hosts for the nine-team tournament. The island nation has been crippled by an economic crisis, with shortages of fuel, food and other necessities.

Asia Cup 2022 fixtures (all matches 6pm UAE time)

Group A

August 28: India v Pakistan, Dubai

August 31: India v Qualifier, Dubai

September 2: Pakistan v Qualifier, Sharjah

Group B

August 27: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan, Dubai

August 30: Bangladesh v Afghanistan, Sharjah

September 1: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, Dubai

Super 4

September 3: B1 v B2, Sharjah

September 4: A1 v A2, Dubai

September 6: A1 v B1, Dubai

September 7: A2 v B2, Dubai

September 8: A1 v B2, Dubai

September 9: B1 v A2, Dubai

September 11: Final, Dubai