Rahul Dravid Not Looking Too Far Ahead As India Set To Play Pakistan Thrice In Asia Cup
The schedule for the Asia Cup 2023 was announced on Wednesday. The tournament will start on August 30, with Pakistan taking on Nepal, while the mouth-watering India vs Pakistan will take place on September 2 in Kandy. There are high odds that India and Pakistan will face each other in the Asia Cup. If the teams qualify for Super 4, they will meet on September 10, and possibly in the final as well.
The IND vs PAK is one of the most anticipated clashes in world cricket and multinational events are the only opportunity for fans to see the two arch-rivals clash. The duration between the matches is more than games against any other team so the buzz around the contest is extraordinary.
When asked about the possibility of playing Pakistan thrice in the Asia Cup, India coach Rahul Dravid said that he wants to take one game at a time and not think too much about the following matches.
The prospect of the arch-rivals potentially meeting thrice within a month has created quite a buzz on social media and India’s head coach Rahul Dravid also reacted to the announcement during a press conference ahead of the side’s second Test against West Indies. Dravid, who was also the head coach of the side during last year’s Asia Cup, stated that he wants to focus on the first two matches and not think too much about the possibilities.
“The schedule is out. You have to qualify for the Super Fours to play Pakistan three times. One step at a time, I don’t believe in counting my chickens too much,” Dravid told reporters in a video posted by the BCCI.
“I know we are going to play Pakistan and Nepal in the first two games, so we need to focus on that. We need to win those games and see where the tournament goes. If we get the opportunity to play them three times, it’s fantastic. That would mean we reach the final of the tournament and hopefully, Pakistan do too.
Rahul Dravid further said that the team is keen to win the Asia Cup and head into the World Cup with great momentum.
“It would be a great contest, and we certainly want to play right up to the final and win it. But we need to take the first two steps to do that,” Dravid said.
India did not have a great outing in the Asia Cup 2022 as the team bowed out of the tournament after losing to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with the latter lifting the trophy.
