India vs. Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 Clash: Everything You Should Know
Traditional rivals Pakistan and India will come face to face in the Asia Cup 2023 on Saturday, September 2, in Kandy. Pakistan began its Asia Cup 2023 campaign on a high with a massive 238-run win over Nepal on Wednesday. Meanwhile, India will kick start their tournament with a match against their traditional rivals Pakistan.
Ahead of the crucial clash, here is the head-to-head in the Asia Cup (ODI) between the two sides.
Head-to-head in Asia Cup (ODI)
| Matches played | 13 |
| India won | 7 |
| Pakistan won | 5 |
| No result | 1 |
| Last result | India won by 9 wickets in Dubai in 2018 |
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India has the upper hand against Pakistan with seven wins in 13 matches. Meanwhile, Pakistan has won five with one match ending in no result.
Pakistan have also lost four of the last five matches against India in the Asia Cup, with their last win coming in Mirpur in 2014. It was the same match where Shahid Afridi hit two consecutive sixes against Ravichandran Ashwin in the last over to get Pakistan over the line.
The Asia Cup 2023 will be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka between August 30 and September 17. All the matches of the Asia Cup will not be played in Pakistan because the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to send their team to Pakistan due to security concerns.
Pakistan are in Group A alongside Nepal and India. Meanwhile, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka are in Group B. Four matches will be played in Pakistan, while nine, including the final, will be played in Sri Lanka. The T20 and ODI formats have alternated at the Asia Cup since 2016. The 2023 edition will be played in the 50-over format in order to help the teams prepare for the World Cup in India later this year. India are the defending champions of the 50-over Asia Cup, which was last held in 2018.
Pakistan’s likely playing XI for Asia Cup clash against India
Pakistan is gearing up for the Asia Cup clash against their traditional rivals, India, scheduled for Saturday in Kandy.
The Men in Green registered a 238-run victory over Nepal in the Asia Cup opener on Wednesday and are unlikely to make any changes to their winning combination unless there are last-minute adjustments needed due to weather/ground conditions or a possibility of a rain-curtailed game.
Despite Fakhar Zaman’s recent struggles with form, Pakistan is likely to stick with their regular opening batsmen. Babar Azam will be determined to carry forward his excellent form, as evidenced by his impressive score of 151 against Nepal. Mohammad Rizwan, the wicketkeeper-batsman, will take the number four spot in the batting order.
There’s a possibility that Pakistan might consider replacing Agha Salman with Saud Shakeel, given Salman’s batting performance in the previous match. The inclusion of a left-handed batsman like Shakeel in the middle order could help counter the threat posed by India’s left-arm spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. However, Babar Azam has a history of maintaining faith in his players despite occasional setbacks, so Agha Salman is likely to retain his place.
After his maiden ODI century against Nepal, Iftikhar Ahmed will be looking to continue contributing significantly to Pakistan’s strong finishes in ODIs.
Shadab Khan, who achieved his best ODI bowling figures in the match against Nepal, is looking to build upon that success. Given the anticipated overcast weather with the possibility of rain, Pakistan might contemplate the addition of an extra fast bowler, with Faheem Ashraf potentially replacing Mohammad Nawaz.
The final three slots in the lineup will feature the dynamic fast-bowling trio of Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah, known for their fiery pace and ability to unsettle batters. Despite an injury scare in the Nepal game, Shaheen is fit to take the field against India on Saturday.
Pakistan’s expected playing XI:
- Fakhar Zaman
- Imam ul Haq
- Babar Azam (Captain)
- Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
- Agha Salman
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Shadab Khan
- Faheem Ashraf/Mohammad Nawaz
- Shaheen Afridi
- Naseem Shah
- Haris Rauf
Pakistan squad for Asia Cup:
Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi
Former Australian cricketer, Matthew Hayden, has shared his insights and prediction for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 clash between India and Pakistan on Saturday at Pallekele.
According to him, this contest features some of the most exciting bowlers on the planet, namely Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem.
In a recent interview with Star Sports, Hayden emphasized the importance of adapting to the playing conditions in Kandy, which typically offer a lot of bounce. He cautioned that Haris Rauf, with his pace and ability to hit the top of the off stump, could be particularly challenging for the Indian batsmen.
India is playing against Pakistan’s pace trio. Well, I can tell you this is one of the spiciest competitions on the planet. We’ve got Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem. Three very different types of bowlers and unique bowlers require unique plans from Team India. Firstly, the conditions here in Kandy tend to have quite a lot of bounce, so you’ve got to watch that out, especially Haris Rauf. He’ll want to really hustle in and hit the top of off stump, Hayden said.
