Asia Cup 2023: IND vs PAK Review – Pakistan in super fours as rain ruins an epic rivalry

India faced off against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on Saturday, September 2. It was the most highly-awaited match of the Asia Cup. It was a match filled with excitement, and unexpected twists but ended in no result due to heavy rain.

Opting to bat first, India got off to a shaky start. Rohit (11) and Virat (4) departed early, courtesy of Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi’s brilliance with the new ball.

At the score of 66-4, India was in deep trouble and looked like they wouldn’t be able to put in a respectable total but the duo of Hardik and Ishan stitched a brilliant 138-run partnership and made sure that India reached a commendable total of 266 in the end. Hardik made 87 while Ishan made 82 runs.

As both teams were about to step on the field, the unexpected rain disrupted play. It ultimately lead to the match’s abandonment. Both teams walked away with a point each in this rain-affected encounter. With this, Pakistan became the first team to qualify for the Super Fours of the Asia Cup.

Top Performers of the Match

Hardik Pandya (87 of 90)

On a pitch that looked difficult for batters, Hardik Pandya displayed superb batting prowess. He stitched a partnership with young Ishan Kishan to help India reach a good total in the end. His score of 87 included seven fours and one huge six as well.

Shaheen Afridi (4/35, 10 overs)

As expected, Shaheen was brilliant with the new ball and troubled the Indian batters. He first got the Indian captain with a peach of a delivery and then cleaned up Virat Kohli to claim his second wicket. Later towards the end, he took two more important wickets by sending back Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in the same over.

What next?

On September 4, India will be up against Nepal while Pakistan will be playing against the qualifying team on September 6 as they have already qualified for the Super Four.