- India and Pakistan are scheduled to face off in the Asia Cup 2023 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
- India is set to evaluate the fitness and performance of KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah.
- The inclusion of Rahul in the playing XI may require India to bench Ishan Kishan.
In the forthcoming Asia Cup 2023, India and Pakistan are poised for another intense showdown at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, scheduled for 02:30 PM Pakistan Standard Time. Notably, their previous group stage encounter in Pallekele was marred by rain, leaving cricket enthusiasts eagerly awaiting a clear sky this time.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has taken preemptive measures this time around, incorporating a reserve day for the much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash. This provision aims to mitigate the impact of adverse weather conditions.
In the event that Colombo enjoys a break in the weather today, India will use the opportunity to assess the readiness of KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah for the upcoming ODI World Cup. Rahul has been absent from ODI cricket since March, while Bumrah hasn’t featured in an ODI since July. The inclusion of Rahul in the playing XI may necessitate the benching of Ishan Kishan, who has impressively notched up four half-centuries in his last four ODI innings.
Here are the squad listings for both teams:
Pakistan Squad:
- Fakhar Zaman
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Babar Azam (captain)
- Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper)
- Agha Salman
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Shadab Khan
- Faheem Ashraf
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Naseem Shah
- Haris Rauf
India Squad:
- Shubman Gill
- Rohit Sharma (captain)
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- KL Rahul (wicketkeeper)
- Hardik Pandya
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Shardul Thakur
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Siraj
This impending clash between two cricketing giants promises an exciting spectacle, provided the weather gods favor the occasion, offering cricket fans an electrifying contest in the Asia Cup 2023.