ISLAMABAD: Due to continuous rain, the umpires made the decision on Sunday to suspend the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 match between arch-rivals Pakistan and India for the day. The match will resume from the exact same point today (Monday), and no overs will be lost due to the rain interruption.
In the high-voltage clash, Pakistan won the toss and opted to field against India. Rain interrupted the match when India had scored 147/2 in 24.1 overs. It appeared that a 34-over game might be possible. However, rain returned, dashing the hopes of cricket fans once again.
According to the playing conditions, the match will resume from this point tomorrow with no overs lost.
Pakistan stuck with the same playing XI for this crucial encounter, while India made two changes. Shreyas Iyer had to be replaced due to a back spasm just before the toss. KL Rahul stepped in as the replacement for Shreyas Iyer. Jasprit Bumrah took the place of Mohammad Shami in India’s lineup.
After a convincing seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their first Super Four match, Pakistan aimed to maintain their excellent form in the Asia Cup.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam said, “We will bowl first. I think there is a bit of moisture, we need to use that. Always, India-Pakistan is high intensity, but we will take it match to match. As a team, we are playing well, we are focused on this one.”
Meanwhile, India was playing their first Super Four match.
“Looking to bat first. There will be a challenge upfront, but the way we guys batted last time around gives us confidence. Every game is important for us, but one thing at a time to focus on,” stated Indian skipper Rohit Sharma.
The rain washed out the Group stage match between India and Pakistan on September 2 in Pallekele.
With a 90% chance of precipitation, another disrupted game was a source of concern for spectators and fans. However, according to the reports, it was bright and sunny on Sunday morning in Colombo.
However, later in the day, the rain interrupted the match. It leads to the rescheduling of match to Monday, which is the reserve day for the clash.
This is a crucial match because even one loss in the Super Four stage can push a team to “must-win territory.” With in-form Sri Lanka set to face both sides next week, the two points at stake today are highly valuable.
There is also a slim possibility that today’s fixture could be the last India vs. Pakistan encounter at the 2023 Asia Cup, as Sri Lanka is a strong contender to reach the finals. Historically, India and Pakistan have never faced each other in an Asia Cup final.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
