Why Asia Cup 2023 is being played in ODI format and not T20I?

News Network

August 30, 2023

The Asia Cup, once considered a mini-version of the World Cup, has gradually turned into a preparatory platform for the World Cup. Whichever World Cup is being held that year, be it in the ODI format or T20I, the Asia Cup is molded into the same format. Last year, when the Asia Cup was held in the UAE, it was the Sri Lanka cricket team that emerged triumphant, winning the title in the T20 format. But, this time around, the Asian sides will battle it out in the 50-over format of the game. But, why is it so?

Though the Asia Cup boasts of some of the top sides in the world, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, etc., the tournament is still seen as a 'preparatory' event. These days, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) organises the Asia Cup the same year when the World Cup is taking place. Whichever format of the World Cup it is (T20 or 50-over), the Asia Cup takes that form. Considering the manner in which the game has grown, Asian teams do tend to benefit from this approach.

The tournament started all the way back in 1984 in the ODI format but things changed after the introduction of T20s. The last ODI Asia Cup was held in 2019, the same year the last World Cup in the format was held. It was the Indian team that clinched the title that year. But, it wasn't even a full-strength Indian side that participated in the event.

The team's talismanic batter Virat Kohli, also the team's captain back then, didn't participate in the event, giving charge to his deputy Rohit Sharma. In fact, in a game, even Rohit decided to rest himself, giving charge to MS Dhoni.

As for the 2023 edition, it will be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This event will also mark the debut of Nepal in the tournament. Nepal booked their ticket to the event by winning the inaugural ACC Men's Premier Cup 2023, where they defeated the United Arab Emirates in the final.

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Film on Gaza girl ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ receives Oscar nomination

News Network

January 23,2026

The Voice of Hind Rajab, inspired by the tragic final moments of a young Palestinian girl killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best International Feature Film category.

Directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, the film recounts the true story of five-year-old Hind Rajab, who lost her life in January 2024 while fleeing Israeli bombardment with her family.

The film features the real audio of Hind’s desperate call to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, where she pleaded for help moments before the vehicle she was in was struck by 355 bullets.

The haunting narrative begins with a brief call made from the besieged Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza, where gunfire and armored vehicles drowned out every sound.

After witnessing the brutal killing of her family, she made a trembling call, her voice reduced to a whisper as she spoke of the massacre and her unbearable loneliness as the sole survivor.

Premiering at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2025, The Voice of Hind Rajab garnered widespread acclaim, receiving a record-setting 23-minute standing ovation and the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the festival’s second-highest honor.

In her acceptance speech, Ben Hania dedicated the film to humanitarian workers and first responders in Gaza, emphasizing that Hind's voice symbolizes countless civilians affected by war.

She aims to give voice to victims often reduced to mere statistics, highlighting the broader suffering of civilians in war zones.

The film’s Oscar nomination underscores its powerful storytelling and ethical approach to depicting real-life tragedy, making it a crucial piece of contemporary cinema.

It serves not only as a narration of individual tragedy but also as an artistic and documentary response to the silence and censorship that often overshadow West Asian struggles and wars.

Using an innovative method she calls docufiction, Ben Hania bridges unvarnished reality and narrative structure, creating a work that is both artistically valuable and socially impactful.

Born in 1977 in Sidi Bouzid—later the epicenter of the Arab revolution—her background profoundly influenced her worldview and artistic approach.

She is a graduate of the Higher School of Audiovisual Arts of Tunis, Pantheon-Sorbonne University, and La Fémis in Paris, where her studies equipped her with the technical and theoretical tools needed to address complex subjects.

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