Diwali has come early for India Cricket Team fans. And it’s Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Jay Shah, who has gifted them three days of Team India matches. How? Well, Rohit Sharma & Co played IND vs PAK on Sunday before the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 clash had to be moved to the Reserve Day on Monday due to rain. Then, the fans will get India vs Sri Lanka (IND vs SL), making it three matches on consecutive days. If you smell sarcasm, it is, because all this is before World Cup 2023 for an injury-prone team.
- Sep 10: India vs Pakistan Super 4
- Sep 11: India vs Pakistan Reserve Day
- Sep 12: India vs Sri Lanka
- Sep 15: India vs Bangladesh
- Sep 17: Asia Cup 2023 Final
There has already been concern regarding Asia Cup 2023 and World Cup 2023 scheduling. Even though 48 hours recovery time after a 50-over-a-side match is not enough, Team India were slated to play Sri Lanka on Tuesday, September 12.
Now with IND vs PAK moving to Reserve Day, there will be no time for recovery. In 72 hours’ time, Rohit Sharma & Co will face Bangladesh on Friday. If India qualify for the final, they will play another match in 48 hours’ time. Who takes the blame if there is an injury? It will be on the National Cricket Academy again.
Shreyas Iyer has become the first casualty as he suffered a back spasm just minutes before the IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 clash.
Team India Scheduling mess: Who to blame?
The reason behind such a mess is BCCI and Indian government’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023 for diplomatic reasons. While that reason can still be accepted, the reason for picking Sri Lanka in September baffles everyone.
While all teams avoided the UAE due to the heat, it is not very pleasant in Sri Lanka either. There was a chance for course correction when the 10-day weather forecast in Colombo brought about gloomy news. The first India vs Pakistan match was already washed out. And the second was about to.
However, instead of shifting the venue to a drier Hambantota, Jay Shah-led ACC kept the entire Super 4 stage in Colombo. And the inevitable happened. Only 24.1 overs of play was possible on Sunday.
For those unaware, ACC decided on Hambantota with the rain forecast in Colombo. But on Tuesday afternoon just hours after confirming the shift in venue, ACC retracted the previous email. Colombo retained all Super 4 clashes as well as the Asia Cup 2023 Final.
But that’s not it. Immediately after returning from Sri Lanka, Team India will only get 5 days before taking on Australia in a three-match ODI series starting Sep 22 in Mohali. The team will have to travel almost 5,500 kilometers from Colombo to Mohali to Indore to Rajkot.
And within 7 days, Team India will begin their Bharat Darshan during World Cup 2023, playing in 12 cities, travelling over 12,000 kilometers. To note, Team India have had three long-term injuries in Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah. The likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Rohit Sharma besides Mohammad Shami are also injury-prone players.
Outrage among fans over Asia Cup 2023 schedule
The scheduling amid rain has not pleased fans and former cricketers alike. Former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad slammed ACC for the scheduling.
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