The Asia Cup qualifier tournament is scheduled to take place from April 24 to May 8, 2023, in Nepal, marking the country’s return as a host for an ACC or ICC tournament after a long gap. The tournament will be played in a 50-over format and is the inaugural tournament of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup. The matches will be held at Mulpani Cricket Ground and Tribhuwan University International Ground.
A total of 10 teams will participate in the ACC Premier Cup. Nepal, Oman, the UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Qatar, Hong Kong, and Kuwait directly qualify for the ACC Premier Cup. While Saudi Arabia and Bahrain is qualify Acc Challenger Cup That held in Malaysia In last week.
The tournament will consist of a total of 24 matches, with all teams playing four games in the group stage. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. The winner and runner-up of each group will play each other in the semi-finals, and the winning teams will proceed to the final. The tournament winner will get a chance to play in the ACC Asia Cup 2023 alongside the two cricket giants India and Pakistan.
The winner, runner-up, and third-place teams will have the opportunity to play in the Emerging ACC Men’s Asia Cup tournament with India A, Pakistan A, Sri Lanka A, Afghanistan A, and Bangladesh A. The Asia Cup emerging tournament will take place in July.
10 Teams will participate in the tournament and will be divided into two groups:
Group A:
1. Nepal
2. UAE
3. Qatar
4. Kuwait
5. Saudi Arabia
Group B:
1. Oman
2. Hong Kong
3. Malaysia
4. Singapore
5. Bahrain
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia advanced to the ACC Men’s Premier Cup after finishing in the top two of the ACC Men’s Challenger Cup.
Credit: CAN
The live streaming details for the tournament have not been finalized yet, but the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) is planning to live broadcast the matches from both grounds for the first time.
The top contenders in the tournament are Nepal, Oman, and the UAE. Nepal has a significant chance to qualify due to their home field advantage and recent ICC League 2 match performances. Also, the UAE and Oman also have a chance to qualify for the Asia Cup.
