'Yeh khala ji ka ghar nahi hai jo India aram se jeet jayega' - Shoaib Akhtar's no filter remark ahead of Asia Cup Final

Legendary Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has said that it will not be easy for India to overcome Sri Lanka in the 2023 Asia Cup final. The summit clash will be contested at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on September 17.

Akhtar's opinion comes after India suffered a terrible loss against Bangladesh in their final Super Four stage clash. The 48-year-old stated that the defeat was embarrassing as India were thrashed by a team who were already out of the tournament. He added that the loss served Rohit Sharma and Co. a 'wake-up call' before the big game. 

"We were not expecting that India would lose to a team like Bangladesh but they did. It was an embarrassing defeat. Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka. They are out of the Asia Cup, which is an even bigger embarrassment. India are still in the final. All is not lost for them. It was a great wakeup call for them to come back harder and make sure they secure victory in the finals but that will only happen if they play really well. Ye khala ji ka ghar nahi hai jaha pe India jake araam se jeet legal. Nothing of that sort is going to happen. It's going to be a tough game," Akhtar said on his YouTube channel. 

Sri Lanka is out there to beat India: Akhtar

He went on to say that Dasun Shanaka and Co. might come all guns blazing to beat the seven-time champions. He added that since both sides are gearing up for the much-awaited Cricket World Cup in India, the final could be anybody's game. The 48-year-old insisted that the Men in Blue have to wake up as they lost to Bangladesh.

"Sri Lanka is out there to beat India. And going into the World Cup, it could be anybody's game. India need to wake up. They lost to Bangladesh," he added.