Asia Cup 2022 is set to commence on August 27, 2022, and will be played until September 11 in Sri Lanka. The Asian Cricket Council confirmed that the tournament will be played in the T20 format and its qualifiers will be played from August 20.
“The Asia Cup 2022 (T20 Format) will be held in Sri Lanka from 27 August - 11 September later this year. The Qualifiers for the same will be played 20 August 2022 onwards,” read a statement from the Asian Cricket Council.
The Asia Cup has been taking place since 1984 with a total of 14 editions being played till date. Out of those 14 editions, it was only in 2016 that the competition was played in the T20 format.
As far as winners are concerned, India has been the most successful team in the history of the Asia Cup, winning seven of the 14 editions, including successive titles in 1998, 1990 and 1995.
A tournament that started with only three participants has only grown over the years, with the previous edition in 2018 featuring as many as six teams. The Asia Cup 2022 will also have six teams - India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and a Qualifier.
The team acquiring the final spot will be decided between UAE and Kuwait, both of whom progressed from 2020 ACC Western Region T20, and Singapore and Hong Kong after both the nations progressed from the 2020 ACC Eastern Region T20.
Since 2008, the Asia Cup has been played every two years and was last held in 2018, with India defeating Bangladesh in the final.
Sri Lanka was supposed to host the 2020 edition, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the organizing committee to push it back to 2021 before eventually moving it to 2022. Pakistan were initially supposed to host the 2022 Asia Cup, but will now have the rights for 2023
Featured photo: AFP / Ishara S. Kodikara
