India-Pakistan Matches Under Spotlight

After the terror strike in Pahalgam last month and the subsequent Operation Sindoor launched by India against Pakistan, the spotlight, from an international cricket perspective, is now on the scheduled matches between India and Pakistan.

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What happens to those? Will the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) have them in separate groups? An explainer.

How do we know both of those teams are scheduled to face each other even before the draw?

The 'draw' is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here. There has sort of been an unwritten rule that both India and Pakistan will face each other in the group stages of ICC and ACC events. Going by that, they are scheduled to meet at least four times before next April. Three times in men's events and one in a women's meet.

Where are these games scheduled?

All of the four games, at least on paper, are slated to be held in India. Two in the Asia Cup, one in the women's World Cup and one in the men's T20 World Cup. But an agreement between the two nations means that all four games will be held in a neutral venue, either in Sri Lanka or the UAE.