The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has released the schedule for the Premier Cup, including the groups and fixtures of the tournament. The Premier Cup, which is considered the gateway to the Asia Cup, is set to be played in Nepal from April 18 to May 1, 2023.
The hosts Nepal have been placed in Group ‘A’ with Oman, Qatar, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Group ‘B’ will consist of United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Singapore, and Bahrain. The matches will be held at TU International Cricket Ground and Mulpani Cricket Ground.
The tournament will commence on April 18, with Nepal taking on Malaysia at TU Cricket Ground. The home side will play a single game at Mulpani Cricket Ground against Saudi Arabia.
The ACC Men’s Premier Cup – an integral part of ACC's new pathway structure gets underway on the 18th of April in Nepal. 10 Associate nations will battle it out for the title and the winner will directly qualify for the Men’s Asia Cup 2023. #ACCMensPremierCup #ACC pic.twitter.com/P9ybK6W4qs
— AsianCricketCouncil (@ACCMedia1) March 23, 2023
The semifinals of the Premier Cup will be played on April 28, with the final scheduled for May 1. In case of any unforeseen circumstances, the reserve day is set for May 2.
The winning team of the tournament will join India and Pakistan in Group A of the Asia Cup 2023, which will take place in September. Furthermore, the top three teams of the Premier Cup will also get the opportunity to feature in the ACC Emerging Cup in July.
The Nepalese Cricket Team are in red hot form registering 11 wins from the last 12 matches.
