Colombo: Super-4 stage matches in Asia Cup 2023 may shift from Colombo to some other city of Sri Lanka. Given the flood-like situation in Colombo at present, matches can be held in Sri Lanka's Kandy or Dambulla cities. Five matches including the Final and Super-4 stage matches are to be held in Colombo.
The Super-4 stage in the Asia Cup will begin on 6 September. The first match will be played in Lahore, Pakistan, while the remaining matches will be held in Colombo.
Heavy rain predicted for the next few days
According to Asian Cricket Council (ACC) sources, it has been raining continuously in Colombo for the past few days. The city is witnessing a flood-like situation and heavy rain has been predicted for the next few days as well. In view of this, the Super-4 stage matches to be held in Colombo can be conducted elsewhere.
It rained all day in Colombo on Sunday. According to the Accuweather website, there is a possibility of heavy rain with lightning in the city from Monday to next Sunday (September 10). During this period the temperature can remain between 26 to 29 degrees Celsius. Due to which the chances of any kind of outdoor sports activity being possible will be eliminated.
The first match of the Super-4 stage will be held in Colombo on 9 September, followed by 4 more matches in the city till 15 September. The Final of the Asia Cup-2023 is also going to be held in Colombo on 17th September.
India will qualify for Super-4 even if match against Nepal is washed out
The group stage match between India and Pakistan was washed out in Kandy. Both the teams can now face each other once again in the Super-4 stage. Pakistan has qualified for Super-4 with 3 points. If Team India is successful in winning the match against Nepal then the team will qualify for Super-4. Even if the match between the two remains inconclusive due to rain, India will qualify for Super-4 with 2 points, because Nepal is currently at the last position in Group-A with zero points.
After qualifying as per the scheduled schedule, India's first match in Super-4 will be against Pakistan. This match is currently scheduled to be held on September 10 at Colombo grounds. The remaining 2 matches of the Indian team in Super-4 are to be held on 12th and 15th September, but the teams with which these matches will be held will be confirmed only after all the matches of Group-B are over.