Asia Cup 2023, IND vs PAK Playing 11: Shardul preferred over Shami in XI

India have gone with two genuine pacers --Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj -- and two fast bowling all-rounders in Shardul Thakur and Hardik Pandya.

2:40 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

India Playing 11: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.

2:37 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

Rohit Sharma informed at the toss that Shami is not match fit as he is making a comeback in Indian team.

2:35 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

Pakistan (Playing XI): Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

2:34 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

India Playing 11: Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah and Shardul Thakur are three pacers. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja are two spinners.
Shreyas Iyer playing today

2:32 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

India win toss and elects to bat first as sun is shining at the Pallekele Stadium.

2:28 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

We are just few minutes away the toss. India's Playing 11 will be revealed in few moments. Stay tuned with us for the live updates.

2:11 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

2:03 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

According to broadcasters, in yesterday's practice session, Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma came in to bat in pair. The duo was followed by Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul.

Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma didn't bat in the practice session. Though, Surya and Varma were the two batters who rolled their arms.

The practice pattern certainly reveals Ishan Kishan is going to play in middle order and no place for Surya. If Shardul gets a game them India have to choose only two from Prasidh Krishna, Bumrah, Shami and Siraj.

India Playing 11 prediction: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur/Mohammed Siraj/Mohammed Shami/Prasidh Krishna (Only two off the 4 pacers).

1:57 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

Here's what Former India cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar said about Virat Kohli batting style:


Former India cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar added that Virat Kohli would be itching to have a go at the Pakistan team after his heroics in the 2022 T20 World Cup.

 

Chasing 160 in a group match at Melbourne, Kohli unleased his full force to score an unbeaten 82 off 53 balls to help India defeat Pakistan on the last ball in an edge-of-the-seat thriller.

 

"Virat is ready for the greatest rivalry in world cricket. The last time these two nations played (2022 T20 World Cup), Virat came out with a special innings, and that shot versus Haris Rauf will be etched in the memories of cricket lovers for a long, long time.

 

"Now, what has Virat Kohli done in the last six to eight months? How has he come out of a little bit of a bad patch wherein he wasn't scoring big runs? But now he has got into that habit of scoring big runs again."

 

Bangar added Kohli's habit of allowing the ball to come to him will help him in a big way against the likes of Afridi.

 

"He is setting up really nice and early, staying still, allowing the ball to come to him. That is one aspect which is going to help him big time, especially against Shaheen (Afridi) because he gets the ball to swing in late.

 

"And if we are watching the ball, letting it come to you, you can actually play it down the ground or play it to mid-on or mid-wicket region; that is where his (Kohli's) strength is," said Bangar.

1:48 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

The whole ground is covered as of now. There is no rain around, it is just a precautionary step as informed by the broadcaster.

1:41 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

Here's what Mathew Hayden said about Virat Kohli ahead of India vs Pakistan


Virat Kohli, who was leading the side in 2021, was the highest run-getter for India scoring a 49-ball 57, coming in at his usual No.3 spot.

 

Terming the clash of the arch-rivals as the "spiciest competition" in world cricket, Hayden also said India batters will also have to guard against the extra bounce the likes of Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah could generate.

 

"India is playing against Pakistan's pace trio. This is one of the spiciest competitions on the planet. We've got Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem (Shah). Three very different types of bowlers and unique bowlers, which require unique plans from Team India.

 

"Firstly, the conditions here in Kandy tend to have quite a lot of bounce, so you've got to watch that out, especially Haris Rauf. He'll want to really hustle in and hit the top of off stump.

 

"And I think with Naseem, even though he will shape the ball, Pakistan can be in a position to advance forward with India managing to take them out of play by aggressive plays against someone like Naseem," said Hayden.

 

Hayden, though said that putting Naseem under pressure early on could put India in a winning position.

 

"Put him (Naseem) under pressure, feel like you are in front of the game. All in all, though, I think it's going to be Team India that's going to win. I think they've got a deeper, classier batting lineup, and I think they've got form on the board as well."

India vs Pakistan, ICC CWC 2019. Photo: Reuters

1:33 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

Exercise caution against Shaheen Afridi in first three overs: Hayden to Rohit

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden wants India skipper Rohit Sharma to negotiate Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi's first three overs with "caution" to avoid a fate similar to the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE.

 

Rohit was dismissed for a first-ball duck by a searing Afridi yorker which bent marginally inwards to beat the opener all ends up.

 

India suffered a humiliating 10-wicket loss in the group match and could never bounce back from the defeat in the 2021 edition.

 

Hayden felt a "conservative" approach against Afridi was the right way to handle the tall Pakistan quick.

 

"You've got to be conservative against Shaheen Afridi. Remember back to the (T20) World Cup (in the UAE in 2021) more recently. Shaheen was able to take early wickets," Hayden told Star Sports.

 

"We'll never forget that ball that he bowled to Rohit Sharma, so a little bit of caution against Shaheen Afridi. If it's swinging, look to play out those first three overs," Hayden advised the India skipper.

Rohit Sharma

1:21 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

Kandy weather live updates

At the moment, the broadcaster are doing pre-match shows from the field live. Behind them, groundsmen are working with covers. It seems they are covering the whole field. Grey clouds are hovering over the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium with strong winds.

Here's what weather.com depicts on Kandy weather forecast:

1:08 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates

Pakistan to field unchanged XI against India in Asia Cup

Pakistan will field an unchanged playing XI against India in their much-anticipated Asia Cup match here on Saturday, the country's cricket board (PCB) said.

 

Pakistan on Friday decided to name an unchanged team which thrashed Nepal by 238 runs in their opening game on Wednesday.

 

Pakistan made 342 for 6 riding on hundreds by captain Babar Azam (151) and Iftikhar Ahmed (109 not out). Nepal were bundled out for 104 with Shadab Khan taking four wickets.

 

In the pre-match press conference, Pakistan captain Babar Azam informed that the PCB would reveal the playing XI against India.

 

Babar also hoped that there could be a bit more contribution from the middle-order to support the top three -- himself, Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman.

 

"The top order has been contributing well in recent times. The boys in the middle order are trying their best to chip in and hopefully they will be able to do it against India," he said.

 

Pakistan playing XI: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammed Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.

1:06 PM

Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan Playing 11 live updates