After thrashing Nepal, the Pakistan team has reached Sri Lanka to play India in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. Skipper Babar Azam led the team to a thumping win against Nepal by scoring 151 runs. Later, bowlers Shadab Khan and Shaheen Afridi took four and two wickets respectively, to bundle Nepal out for just 104.
Azam & Co left Multan and reached in Kandy, Sri Lanka today afternoon.
IND vs PAK match will be played in Kandy on September 2. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people, and tickets for the same have been sold out. However, rain threat looms large as Balagolla is expected to hit in the Central and South Province of Sri Lanka. Rain playing spoilsport would prove to be a dampener as these two teams meet only during Asia Cup and ICC events.
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Babar Azam keen to continue form in Asia Cup 2023
The match would be pretty crucial for IND & PAK as they aim to fix combinations ahead of the World Cup.
For India, the return of Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah is a massive boost, while Pakistan would be hoping their talisman Babar Azam continues his purple patch against India. Azam’s record is not that great against the Asian Giants, and it is here that the Pakistani skipper would be keen to put on a big score.
The other threat to India is Shaheen Afridi. The left-arm pacer poses the biggest challenge due to the ball coming into right-handers. However, the young pacer is facing some discomfort and is a doubtful starter for the clash against India.
Shaheen’s absence could be a major blow for Pakistan in Asia Cup 2023. However, India cannot heave a sigh of relief as Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf are equally capable of denting India.
For Men In Blue, Iyer would be crucial as they have had their fair share of troubles at number four. Iyer performing well in that role would ease some pressure of Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Editors pick
