After ending the tour of the West Indies, former India captain Virat Kohli started preparing for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 beginning on August 30 in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Kohli hit the gym to gear up for the tournament. He shared an Instagram story where he is enjoying his time in the gym.
India are yet to announce their squad for the tournament but many players have started their preparation. The tournament will follow a hybrid model, with four matches to be hosted by Pakistan and all of India’s matches and a total of nine fixtures taking place in the Emerald Isle.
Kohli is the third-highest run-getter for India in Asia Cup when then tournament is played in ODI format. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has scored 613 runs in 11 matches at an average of 61.3 with 3 hundreds and 1 fifty including a best of 183 against Pakistan.
Team India captain Rohit Sharma is the leading run-getter for India in the Asia Cup with 745 runs in 22 matches at an average of 46.56 with 1 hundred and 6 fifties. Former India captain MS Dhoni is in second place with 648 runs in 19 matches with 1 hundred and 3 fifties.
Virat Kohli back in gym…!!!
Preparation for Asia Cup starts. pic.twitter.com/029g5AnrGu
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 14, 2023
India is in Group A, which also have Pakistan and Nepal, while Group B comprises Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. The tournament will kick off with a clash between Pakistan and Nepal in Multan, Pakistan. India will start their campaign against Pakistan on September 2, in Kandy. They will be playing their second group stage match at the same venue against Nepal on September 4.
Matches in the Super Four stage will start on September 6, with a clash between the A1 and B2 sides in the respective groups, at Lahore. The rest of the matches will take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
On September 17, the final will be held in Colombo. The tournament will be held in a 50-over format, keeping in mind the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which will be hosted in India from October 5 to November 19.
Sri Lanka are the defending Asia Cup champions, having won the title last year. They have won a total of six titles. India have been the most successful team in the tournament’s history, with a total of 7 titles.
(with ANI inputs)
