Asia Cup 2023 | PAK vs IND, Super Fours Match 3 - Top Captain and Vice-captain Picks

image-lmbvgm4dJasprit Bumrah will be essential to India's chances in the match against Pakistan (Source: Twitter)

It is once again time for the biggest rivalry in Cricket. Pakistan is due to face India in the third match of the Super Fours in Asia Cup 2023. The match will be played on Sunday, 9th September, at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is scheduled to start at 3:00 PM IST. Ahead of the game, here is a look at the top choices for the captain or vice-captain for the fantasy contests of the match. 

If we look at the journey of the two teams in the tournament, Pakistan have been pretty clinical. They won one game in the group stage, while the other was abandoned due to rain. They topped the group table and made it to the Super Four. In the Super Four stage, they won convincingly against Bangladesh. The team will be confident with their performance and eager to carry the momentum forward.

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India, on the other hand, have yet to get off the blocks in this tournament. Both of their games have been rain-interrupted affairs. While in the first game, the top order struggled to give the team a good start, the bowling unit looked somewhat scratchy in the second match. However, they have made it to the Super Fours, and Rohit Sharma and company will be eager to take their performance graph upward from here on.


PAK vs IND, Match 9: Venue Analysis

The wicket at the R Premadasa Satdium will be slow and it will help the spinners through out. The pacers will also have something on it with the new ball. The batters who are ready to grind themselves out will get runs on this wicket. The toss winning skipper will most likely look to bat first. 


PAK vs IND, Match 9: Toss Factor

Scenario: Pakistan wins the toss

Well the general notion on the Premadasa wicket is to win the toss and bat first. But in the last match between Sri Lanak and Bangladesh we saw the pacers getting movement with the new ball in the initial phases of th game. Pakistan boasts of a great pace bowling unit and hence they might look to bowl first if Babar Azam wins the coin flip. 

Scenario: India wins the toss

India will look to bat first if they win the toss. However, after watching the match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on the same wicket, India might try and protect their top-order from being exposed to the steam of the Paksitani pacers. So, there are chances that they can opt to bowl first if it is Rohit Sharma who wins the coin flip. Beisdes, India also have a good pace unit and they might look to give them the best conditions.


IND vs PAK, Match 9: Top Captain and Vice-Captain Choices

Scenario: Pakistan Bowls First

Shaheen Shah Afridi

After watchinfg the first few overs in the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh match, it is evident that Afridi will be the biggest threat for the Indian top-order, if they are batting first. Shaheen has troubled the Indian top-order previously and choosing him as the captain or the vice-captain in this scenaria will be a rather safe and rewarding option. 

Mohammad Rizwan

With the movement available from the wicket, Rizwan will come into play plenty of times as a wicket-keeper. Besides, he is a stable middle-order batter who has looked in good touch with the bat. Rizwan will be a key cog for Pakistan if they are to chase down a target in the match. 


Scenario: India Bowls First

Jaspirt Bumrah

The Indian pacer will be seen in action in the ODI after a long-time. In the last game, where India bowled, Bumrah was not a part of the team.  It will be interesting to see, how long he takes to get into his rhythm. If Bumrah gets off the blocks early then he will pose a real challenge to the Pakistani batters. 

Shreyas Iyer

In the chase, Shreyas Iyer will be a vital cog for India batting in the middle-order. Iyer plays spin well and given the conditions and the position at which he bats in Iyer will be a good choice as the captain or the vice-captain for the fantasy conetsts of the match. 


PAK vs IND, Match 9: Big Risk, Big Return Choices

Fakhar Zaman

The Pakistani opener has not been in the best of forms. But he has a good record against India and is due of a big performance. This might well be Zaman's day and hence choosing him as the captain or vice-captain for the match might be quite rewarding. 

Rohit Sharma

The Indian skipper looked in good touch in the last match and that is a big positive for the team ahead of the big game. Sharma also has a good record against Pakistan in the ODIs and that makes him a risky yet worthy choice as the captain or the vice-captain of the match.