Pakistan vs India all set for opening day of Women's Asia Cup 2024

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has announced revisions to the schedule for the Women’s Asia Cup 2024. The eagerly awaited tournament will now kick off with a high-voltage clash between defending champions India and arch-rivals Pakistan on July 19 in Dambulla. On the same day, Nepal and the UAE will face off in the tournament’s opening match in the afternoon, with the India vs Pakistan encounter slated for the evening.

Originally, these matches were scheduled for July 21, with Nepal set to play Pakistan and India to take on the UAE. However, these games have been rescheduled to maintain the excitement and balance of the tournament. The rest of the schedule remains unchanged, and the competition will run from July 19 to July 28.

The 2024 edition of the Women’s Asia Cup features eight teams, an increase from the previous year’s seven. Group A comprises India, Nepal, Pakistan, and UAE, while Group B includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Thailand. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals on July 26, culminating in the final on July 28.

India, the most successful team in the tournament’s history with seven titles, will play their group stage matches against Pakistan on July 19, UAE on July 21, and Nepal on July 23. Notably, the match against UAE will be India’s only daytime fixture.

The tournament will be hosted entirely in Dambulla and will feature an all-female team of umpires and match officials, reflecting a progressive move towards gender equality in sports. Following the Asia Cup, the women’s cricket calendar continues with the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh from October 3 to October 20.