ASIA CUP 2018: Schedule announced, India to play Pak on Sept 19

India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are all confirmed participants, with the remaining spot still up for grabs amongst hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, Oman, Nepal, Malaysia and Hong Kong

Photo Courtesy: Twitter

Defending champions India will face arch-rivals Pakistan on September 19, the day after the Virat Kohli-led side open their Asia Cup 2018 campaign against a yet-to-be-confirmed qualifier here, the ICC announced the schedule late on Tuesday. Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka in the opener of the biennial tournament, that runs from September 15 to 28, according to a statement from the International Cricket Council (ICC). India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are all confirmed participants, with the remaining spot still up for grabs amongst hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, Oman, Nepal, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Group A consists of India, Pakistan and the qualifier while Group B comprises of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 4 and two teams will then play the final on September 28 here. Asia Cup Schedule: Group Stage 15 September - Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka (Dubai) 16 September - Pakistan vs Qualifier (Dubai) 17 September - Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) 18 September - India vs Qualifier (Dubai) 19 September - India vs Pakistan (Dubai) 20 September - Bangladesh vs Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four 21 September - Group A Winner vs Group B Runner-up (Dubai) 21 September - Group B Winner vs Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi) 23 September - Group A Winner vs Group A Runner-up (Dubai) 23 September - Group B Winner vs Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi) 25 September - Group A Winner vs Group B Winner (Dubai) 26 September - Group A Runner-up vs Group B Runner-up (Abu Final 28 September - Asia Cup 2018 Final (Dubai).