Asia Cup 2023: The Asia Cup 2023 action has now shifted to the Pallekele Cricket Stadium with Sri Lanka taking on Bangladesh in match number two of the ongoing season of the Asia Cup. After hosting the SL vs BAN fixture, this venue will host two more games in the Asia Cup 2023. This article will take you deep into Asia Cup 2023: Pallekele Cricket Stadium Pitch Report for Asia Cup 2023, Weather Forecast, ODI Records and Stats.
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Situated in Kandy, Sri Lanka, the Pallekele Cricket Stadium was built to fulfil the needs of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, which was jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The stadium was to be renamed to honour legendary Sri Lankan spinner Mutthiah Murlitharan back in 2010, but the task is still pending.
The first international game at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium was held from 1-5 December 2010 between Sri Lanka and West Indies. The first ODI fixture at the aforementioned venue was hosted between Pakistan and New Zealand during the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Now, the stadium has got a fresh makeover to fulfil the Asia Cup 2023 needs, which was a last-minute decision by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
Pallekele Cricket Stadium is set to host three games in the Asia Cup 2023. The first fixture being between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which is underway. The other two matches are India vs Pakistan on September 2nd and India vs Nepal on September 4th. The complete details of the fixture are given below:
| Match No | Day/Date | Match Details | Time |
| Match 02 | Thursday/31st August 2023 | Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | 3:00 PM IST |
| Match 03 | Saturday/2nd September 2023 | India vs Pakistan | 3:00 PM IST |
| Match 05 | Monday/4th September 2023 | India vs Nepal | 3:00 PM IST |
Below are all the details of the Pallekele Cricket Stadium Pitch Report for Asia Cup 2023, Weather Forecast, ODI Records and Stats.
Pallekele Cricket Stadium Overview
| Stadium Name | Pallekele Cricket Stadium |
| Built Year | 2009 |
| State | Kandy, Sri Lanka |
| Owner | Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) |
| Operator | Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) |
| Seating Capacity | 35,000 |
| Ends | Hunnasgiriya End, Rikillagaskada End |
| Dimensions | 80m long, 75m wide |
Pallekele Cricket Stadium ODI Records And Stats – Asia Cup 2023
ODI Records and Stats:
| Total ODIs Played | 36 |
| Won by Pakistan | 15 |
| Won by Visiting Team | 15 |
| No Result | 01 |
| Won by Neutral Teams | 02 |
| Won Batting First | 15 |
| Won Chasing | 20 |
| Average 1st Innings Total | 250 |
| Average 2nd Innings Total | 202 |
| Highest ODI Score | 363/7 by South Africa (vs Sri Lanka) |
| Highest Successful ODI Chase | 314/6 by Sri Lanka (vs Afghanistan) |
| Lowest ODI Total | 70/10 by Zimbabwe (vs Sri Lanka) |
| Highest Individual Score | Ibrahim Zadran – 162 (Afghanistan) |
| Best Bowling Figures | Mitchell Johnson (Australia) – 6/31 |
Pallekele Cricket Stadium Pitch Report for Asia Cup 2023
Often a balanced game of bat and ball is seen at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium. However, it can be said that it favours more to the batters at the start of the innings. As the game progresses, the dryness in the surface brings in spinners into the play, who tend to dominate more in the subsequent innings.
The average first innings total is 250, which simply means that the surface as often produced competitive totals. As the stat shows chasing has been more fruitful in the 36 ODI games held so far in Pallekele Cricket Stadium.
Pallekele Cricket Stadium Weather Forecast for Asia Cup 2023
The weather isn’t encouraging at this venue. The peak monsoon would bring rain showers with it affecting the game. The last few days have seen incessant rains in Pallekele and the forecast isn’t great either for the next couple of days.
The IND vs PAK fixture on 2nd September is under the threat of getting washed out to at least interrupted due to rain. The prediction shows at least 70 per cent rain, which can go up to 91 per cent at times.
ALSO READ: No IND vs PAK Game in Asia Cup 2023 on September 2nd, Very High Chances of Rain, India vs Pakistan
For more details head to BCCI’s official website.