Asia Cup 2023: India vs Pakistan Pre-match Insight - Form, Strategy, and Predictions

The most-anticipated clash of the Asia Cup 2023 between India and Pakistan takes place on Saturday, September 2.

Published - 01 Sept 2023, 17:13 IST | Updated - 01 Sept 2023, 22:34 IST

4 Min Read

A new chapter is set to go into the annals of the India-Pakistan rivalry when the two sides meet in a Group A fixture on Saturday, September 2, in Pallekele. India and Pakistan have had a rich history over the years. The two teams have never given each other an inch, as we have seen several nail-biting fixtures between the two sides on most occasions. The last time these two sides met was in the T20 World Cup 2022. Virat Kohli played a blinder as India won the game from the jaws of defeat.

If this was just another encounter between two top sides, it wouldn't have carried much significance. This is because debutants Nepal are the third team in this group, and with all due respect to the immense improvement they have shown in recent times, they are not likely to make it to the Super Four. Therefore, the route to the Super Four will still be clear for whichever team loses the India-Pakistan clash, as they will still have the chance to progress unless Nepal can beat India by a convincing margin in the last match of Group A. However, all these factors won't have much of a bearing on an India versus Pakistan encounter as the craze always remains intact.

Both teams will be looking forward to testing themselves, as a lot of world-class cricketers will be playing on either side. In a World Cup year, losing against arch-rivals could have a huge demoralising effect and require considerable vigour to regain confidence. Hence, both teams would give their best to come out on the winning side. Historically, ahead of an India-Pakistan clash, the discussion has been around how batters of the Men in Blue will fare against the bowling attack of their arch-rivals. In recent times, India have produced some fine pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, while Pakistan have batters like Imam-ul-Haq and Iftikhar Ahmed in their arsenal.

Pitch and conditions:

The second game between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka was played in Pallekele. A slow and two-paced wicket greeted the two teams. More of the same is expected in this encounter as well. Rain is predicted to play a huge part in the game, and DLS could come into effect. Keeping this in mind, the captain who wins the toss could choose to bat first. Spinners are expected to play a key role on this surface, while batters will need to give themselves time in the middle before playing extravagant shots.

Also see: Live Weather Updates for Asia Cup 2023

Probable Playing XI For IND vs PAK:

India

India tinkered with their playing XI in their most recent ODI series against the West Indies. Captain Rohit Sharma and talismanic batter Virat Kohli played the first ODI before allowing youngsters to play the next couple of games. They are set to return to the side. KL Rahul will miss the first two matches, and Ishan Kishan will likely take up the gloves. However, it will be interesting to see where he bats. The southpaw has done well as an opener, but it will be hard for him to get that spot as the seven-time champions are likely to open with the successful pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.

Probable Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Pakistan

Pakitan played their opening encounter in the Asia Cup 2023 against Nepal. Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed scored centuries as the two-time champions registered a comfortable 238-run win. Pakistan are likely to stick to the same side. The only change they could think about is to bring in the in-form Saud Shakeel in place of Salman Ali Agha, who didn't have a great series against Afghanistan prior to the Asia Cup and got out cheaply against Nepal.

Probable Playing XI: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha/Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf