Asia Cup 2023, Super Fours Match 3 | Pakistan Predicted XI vs India
India and Pakistan will be facing each other for the second time in Asia Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos)
The excitement boils to its peak in the 2023 Asia Cup as the mother of all clashes awaits us once again. It's India versus Pakistan 2.0 in the coveted Asian Championship, scheduled to be held at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on September 10 from 3:00 PM IST, Local Time.
The previous encounter between the neighbours saw the intervention of rain and the match got abandoned after the first innings. India batted first and managed to pile 266 runs on the board riding on the back of Ishan Kishan (82 off 81) and Hardik Pandya's (87 off 90) resilience. Persistent rains followed the innings break and the contest ended up as a stalemate.
The predictions of rain still looms around the corner for the upcoming clash of the arch-rivals. But the good thing is that there is a reserve day in place for this game along with the Final.
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India managed to cement their spot in the Super Fours after a comprehensive victory against Nepal where Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill chased down a DLS total of 145 runs with no hampers. Asking Nepal to bat first, the Rohit Paudel-led unit could manage to put 230 runs on the board. The rain played a part in that contest too and therefore the result.
On the other hand, Pakistan kicked off their Asia Cup campaign with a massive 238 runs victory against Nepal, followed by the rain-fed encounter with India. In the Super Four stages, the side toppled Bangladesh on the back of brilliant multi-dimensional display, winning by seven wickets. They're a side in form and are yet to be defeated in the tournament. With an important clash to follow, let us have a look at the predicted XI of Pakistan against India in Match 3 of the Super Fours.
Openers: Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq
Pakistan should not alter their opening partners despite the off form of Fakhar Zaman. The 33-year-old is a gutsy player and can turn the odds in their favour on his day. He also has a match-winning century against India during the 2017 Champions Trophy Final. Zaman's partner in crime, Imam has been in stupendous form in the lead up to the Asia Cup. He also racked up 78 runs from 84 balls in the recent encounter against Bangladesh.
Middle-Order: Babar Azam, Mohammed Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed
There should be no questions on the presence of Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan in the middle order of Pakistan batting department. The captain is the leading run-scorer for his side in the competition while Rizwan found his groove back in the last couple of games. Joining them in the middle order is Iftikhar Ahmed who bludgeoned a ton against Nepal very recently. He can also turn up with some handy off-spin.
All-rounders: Salman Agha, Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf
Shadab Khan is an automatic choice in the playing XI of Pakistan while Agha Salman may not have performed as per his potential in the ongoing Asia Cup. But Pakistan should not tinker with their winning combination. He also adds depth to Pakistan's spin department and can assist Shadab Khan in the middle overs. Now, there's a toss-up between Faheem Ashraf and Muhammad Nawaz for the number eight spot in the XI. Ashraf bowled well in the last game against Bangladesh and based on the overcast conditions in Colombo, he is likely to be retained.
Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf
The pace trinity of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf is gaining popularity among cricket fans with every passage of day. They are a force to reckon with and have been in red hot form. The trio have snapped 23 wickets out of the 30 that Pakistan have extracted so far in the competition. This speaks volumes why all three of the pacers are going to be retained ahead of the colossal clash.
Pakistan Predicted XI against India
Fakhar Zaman
Imam-ul-Haq
Babar Azam (c)
Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
Iftikhar Ahmed
Salman Agha
Shadab Khan
Faheem Ashraf
Shaheen Afridi
Haris Rauf
Naseem Shah
 "Arijit Kundu")
