Cricket fans around the world are eagerly waiting for the inaugural edition of the Men’s Premier Cup. This tournament is the qualification pathway towards Asia Cup 2023. This highly anticipated tournament is scheduled to be hosted by Nepal from 18 April to 1 May. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced the schedule for the tournament on 23 March 2023. And the excitement levels are at an all-time high.
In this blog, we will talk about all of the things that matter in this ACC qualifier. From all the debate that has been going around regarding the venue of ACC, we can be sure that this is going to be a pretty hyped-up event. So do not miss it at all.
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| Schedule | 18 April to 1 May 2023 |
| Organizer | ACC |
| Format | ODI |
| Host | Nepal |
| Tournament format | Group stage matches and then knockout |
| Teams | 10 |
| Total matches | 24 |
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Qualification and Participants
As the winners of the 2023 ACC Men’s Challenger Cup, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia advanced to compete in this event. Saudi Arabia triumphed in the championship, defeating Bahrain by ten runs. The sides that will compete in the Men’s Premier Cup will include some of the region’s most gifted cricketers.
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| Group A | Group B |
| Saudi Arabia | United Arab Emirates |
| Oman | Kuwait |
| Nepal | Singapore |
| Qatar | Hong Kong |
| Malaysia | Bahrain |
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Hosting the Premier Cup
Nepal is preparing for hosting the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Premier Cup, which serves as a qualifying tournament for the Asia Cup. The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) board conference in Pokhara accepted the plan to hold the competition. The competition will not only allow Nepal to display its cricket facilities but it will also allow the Nepalese cricket squad to compete in the Asia Cup 2023.
The Prize
The Premier Cup champion will be guaranteed a place in the Asia Cup in 2023. If Nepal wins the Premier Cup, they will be joined by Afghanistan and Bangladesh in Group B of the Asia Cup. Group A includes India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The runner-up, third-placed squad, and winner will all be invited to compete in the Men’s Emerging Cup. The consequences are great, as is the rivalry.
ACC Premier Cup Schedule
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| GROUP A | ||
| DATE | MATCH | VENUE |
| 18-Apr-23 | Nepal v Malaysia | TU Ground |
| 19-Apr-23 | Oman v Qatar | Mulpani Cricket Stadium |
| 20-Apr-23 | KSA v Malaysia | |
| 21-Apr-23 | Oman v Nepal | TU Ground |
| 22-Apr-23 | KSA v Qatar | |
| 23-Apr-23 | Oman v Malaysia | Mulpani Cricket Stadium |
| 24-Apr-23 | KSA v Nepal | |
| 25-Apr-23 | Qatar v Malaysia | |
| 26-Apr-23 | KSA v Oman | TU Ground |
| 27-Apr-23 | Qatar v Nepal | |
| GROUP B | ||
| DATE | MATCH | VENUE |
| 18-Apr-23 | Hong Kong v Singapore | Mulpani Cricket Stadium |
| 19-Apr-23 | UAE v Kuwait | TU Ground |
| 20-Apr-23 | Bahrain v Singapore | |
| 21-Apr-23 | UAE v Hong Kong | Mulpani Cricket Stadium |
| 22-Apr-23 | Kuwait v Bahrain | |
| 23-Apr-23 | UAE v Singapore | TU Ground |
| 24-Apr-23 | Bahrain v Hong Kong | |
| 25-Apr-23 | Kuwait v Singapore | |
| 26-Apr-23 | UAE v Bahrain | Mulpani Cricket Stadium |
| 27-Apr-23 | Kuwait v Hong Kong | |
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Venues
The matches will be played in two stadiums majorly. These stadiums are as follows.
- Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground
- Mulpani Cricket Stadium
Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground
This stadium is located in Tribhuvan University Campus and is located in Kirtipur. It is also known as TU cricket ground. It will be one of the stadiums that will host the first-ever ACC Men’s, Premier League.
The Pakistan Team Squad 2023 Asia Cup is also updated.
The tale of this cricket ground starts in 1998 when Bangladesh faced Papua New Guinea in ACC Trophy. This was the first time an international cricket match was played on this pitch.
But the tale doesn’t end here. Nepal also played their first First-Class match on this pitch against Malaysia. This was also the first time Nepal played the intercontinental cup.
In 2005, this stadium was also host to more countries like UAE, and Hong Kong for the Intercontinental cup. More first-class matches meant that this stadium was up to the mark.
There are also many other tournaments that Nepal organized in this stadium. Considering the fact that most of these competitions or tournaments were local contests, the crowds that came to watch the games were impressive. Hence, the first ACC Premier cup is going to be quite interesting with all the crowd cheering for the teams.
Mulpani Cricket Stadium
Mulpani Cricket Stadium is located in Mulpani, a beautiful town in Nepal. After the ACC gave their approval of this ground and established their cricket school here, CAN started construction of two more cricket grounds in the same city.
A lot of money has been spent on the construction of this cricket ground. You have to understand that CAN had spent a lot of money, so they wanted to get rid of any conflicts before completing construction. Unfortunately, land conflicts were in the way of the construction. But everything settled down.
The ICC World Cup 2023 Schedule is also updated.
Conclusion
The 2023 ACC Men’s Premier Cup is unquestionably one of the year’s anticipated cricket events. The rivalry promises to be intense, with teams from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Nepal taking part.
The tournament champion will automatically compete in the Asia Cup 2023, raising the stakes even higher. Fans all over the world are looking forward to seeing their beloved athletes fight in this esteemed event.
The event provides an excellent chance for Nepal’s cricket squad to demonstrate its talent and compete in the Asia Cup. The ACC Men’s Premier Cup in 2023 promises to be an exciting competition that will leave cricket enthusiasts on the edge of their chairs.