“It would be a great contest, and we certainly want to play right up to the final and win it”, Rahul Dravid on India Vs Pakistan in Asia Cup 2023.
The much-awaited schedule for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 was officially unveiled on Wednesday, July 19. The tournament will be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka and promises to bring together some of the finest Asian cricket teams competing for the prestigious 50-over Asia Cup title.
The spotlight will undoubtedly be on the highly anticipated clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, scheduled to take place in Kandy on September 2. What adds to the excitement is the possibility of the two teams facing each other multiple times during the event. Both India and Pakistan find themselves drawn in Group A, which means they could meet again in the Super Four stage if they successfully progress from the group stage.
In light of the schedule announcement, Rahul Dravid, the head coach of Team India, shared insights into India’s game plan for the Asia Cup. Dravid expressed the team’s desire to claim the ultimate victory, but he emphasized the importance of focusing on their performance during the group stages. The team aims to bring out their best and peak form during the initial matches to ensure a strong start in the tournament.
Dravid said “The schedule is out. You have to qualify for the Super Fours to play Pakistan three times. One step at a time, I don’t believe in counting my chickens too much, I know we are going to play Pakistan and Nepal in the first two games, so we need to focus on that. We need to win those games and see where the tournament goes. If we get the opportunity to play them three times, it’s fantastic. That would mean we reach the final of the tournament and hopefully, Pakistan do too.”
While the primary goal remains clinching the Asia Cup title, Dravid acknowledged that securing a spot in the knockout rounds and ultimately reaching the summit clash requires consistent and exceptional performances throughout the earlier stages, saying “It would be a great contest, and we certainly want to play right up to the final and win it. But we need to take the first two steps to do that.”