Page 20 - Asia Cup

Asia Cup, IND vs PAK: Rahul unavailable, eyes on Kishan's batting position

Ishan Kishan is set to play the wicketkeeper-batter role in the absence of K L Rahul but question remains over the left-hander's batting slot going into the Asia Cup opener against Pakistan on September 2. The temptation will be to hand Kishan the opening position with Rahul not available for the first two games of the continental event. He had opened the innings in India's last ODI series against the West Indies along with Shubman Gill, and made a good impression. Kishan made 184 runs in that series from three matches, averaging 61.33 and his scores read 52, 55 and 77. But it was a rather straightforward move as Rohit Sharma was given a rest during the ODIs against the West Indies. Now that Rohit has returned to the side and will occupy one opening slot, the Indian think-tank will have to put in a thought as to where to accommodate Kishan. Opening is also Kishan's most successful slot in the batting order as he had made double hundred there against Bangladesh last year. Former

Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka dismiss Bangladesh for 164 despite Shanto's 89

Najmul Shanto's resilient fifty notwithstanding, Sri Lankan bowlers produced a fine bowling effort to restrict Bangladesh to 164 in their Asia Cup 2023 opener here on Thursday. Shanto made 89 off 122 balls but hardly received consistent support from the other end as pacer Matheesha Pathirana (4/32) and spinner Maheesh Theekshana (2/19) combined to strike at regular intervals after Bangladesh opted to bat first. The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium pitch had a bit of carry and bounce in it, and Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka brought Theekshana into the attack in the second over itself. Theekshana, the highest wicket-taker for Sri Lanka in ODIs this year, fetched immediate results as he trapped Tanzid Hasan plumb in front with a lovely delivery. The ball pitched around the leg-stump and spun across to hit Hasan's back pad and the Bangladesh opener had to walk back with a duck on his debut. Pathirana soon jettisoned skipper Shakib Al Hasan. The left-hander could not negotiate the

Asia Cup 2023 IND vs PAK: No guarantee Rahul could be fit later says Kaif

Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif has cast doubts over KL Rahul's fitness for the entire Asia Cup

Asia Cup 2023: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Playing 11, toss result, streaming

At the toss, Shakib said that they have selected three pacers and as many seamers in Bangladesh Playing 11. Shanaka confirmed during the toss that Pathirana and Dunith Wellalage are playing

Asia Cup 2023: Babar Azam says big win against Nepal boost for India match

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam on Wednesday said the massive 238-run win over Nepal in the Asia Cup opener will give his side confidence ahead of their blockbuster clash against arch-rivals India on Saturday. Pakistan crushed minnows Nepal by a huge margin of 238 runs here in a Group A match to make a winning start to the Asia Cup. Pakistan will now travel to Sri Lanka for the much-anticipated match against India to be played in Pallekele. "This game was good preparation for the India game because it gave us confidence. We want to give 100 per cent every match, hope to do that there as well," Babar said after the end of the match. Babar smashed 151, his 19th ODI century while Iftikhar Ahmed (109 not out) hit his maiden ODI ton to power Pakistan to an imposing 342 for six after opting to bat. Babar was involved in two crucial partnerships after a sedate start -- first stitching 86 runs with Mohammad Rizwan (44 off 50) and then sharing an whirlwind 214 runs for the fifth wicket with ..

Asia Cup 2023: Ind vs Pak is test of character and personality says Pandya

The multiple battles against Pakistan in Asia Cup will test the character and personality of the players in the Indian team, feels all-rounder Hardik Pandya. India gets their Asia Cup campaign underway against arch-rivals Pakistan in Pallekele on Sunday. Both teams can play each other as many as three times if they reach the final. Ahead of India's opening game, Pandya spoke about the intensity of an Indo-Pak clash. "It's an event which I've seen how it checks your character and personality, and at the same point in time, you can see in how deep waters you can swim. So, for me, all these factors excite me a lot, he told Star Sports. A lot of emotions are attached by fans. For us, it is about playing a good team, playing a match against a very good side who has done very well in the recent past." Pandya also mentioned that fixtures against teams like Pakistan involve making calculated decisions and not getting carried away by emotions. "We try to keep the outside noise outside and

Asia Cup 2023: Dasun Shanaka confident his young players would prove enough

Sri Lanka have been hit hard by injuries to key players in the run up to the ongoing Asia Cup, and captain Dasun Shanaka on Wednesday said they can't have control over such crisis but are confident of others standing up for the absentees in the continental tournament. Six-time champions Sri Lanka will open their Asia Cup campaign against Bangladesh here on Thursday, but they will be without four main players in Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara and Dilshan Madhushanka. "We can't have control over injuries. You know the players who unfortunately missed out -- Hasaranga, Chameerathey are big players, experienced players. "But we have a young side and this will be a good experience for them and we are looking forward to the tournament," said Shanaka here during the pre-match press meet. Shanaka said they have enough quality players in the side to make an impression in the Asia Cup. "Last time (in the 2022 Asia Cup) also we went in as underdogs and lost our first g

IND vs PAK, Asia Cup 2023: Babar Azam's 151 rings the danger bell for India

Babar Azam hit 151 against Nepal in the opening match of Asia Cup 2023. It rang the danger bells for Team India. The two arch-rivals clash on Saturday, September 02, in Babar's next game

Asia Cup today's match: PAK vs NEP playing 11, toss result, live streaming

Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq are the two openers in Pakistan Playing 11 vs Nepal in Match 1 of Asia Cup 2023.

Asia Cup 2023 PAK vs NEP Highlights: Babar's team thrash Nepal by 238 runs

Asia Cup 2023, Pakistan vs Nepal 2023 Highlights: Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed hit centuries to take Pakistan to 342 in 50 overs. Shadab Khan led bowlers to bowl Nepal out for 104 to win by 238 runs

Asia Cup 2023: Bangladesh skipper Shakib rues the absence of big players

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan on Wednesday rued the absence of experienced players like Liton Das, but said they have enough quality in their ranks to paper over their unavailability in the Asia Cup. Bangladesh will face six-time and defending champion Sri Lanka here on Thursday. But they will be without veterans like Das, Tamim Iqbal and Ebadot Hosain, all ruled out due to different reasons. While Das could not recover in time from viral fever, Iqbal and Hosain are injured. "Of course, it (absence of veteran players) is a big miss. If you talk about Liton, he has been part of the team for the last four or five years, and he was doing consistently well for Bangladesh. But having said that this will give an opportunity to someone else and I hope they make full use of this opportunity, Shakib said here during the pre-match press conference. Shakib hoped that young players like Towhit Hridoy, who was a part of Bangladesh's U-19 World Cup winning side in 2020, will put their hand

Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan are team to beat in the tournament believes Ashwin

Premier India spinner R Ashwin feels Pakistan will be the side to beat in Asia Cup and consistent performances from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will make them even more dangerous in the continental event. Terming both Pakistan and India as a favourites for the Asian title, Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, "If Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan consistently dish out performances with the bat, Pakistan will be one hell of a team heading into this Asia Cup and the World Cup. "It will take some beating since Pakistan is an extraordinary team." Pakistan face Nepal in the tournament opener on Wednesday before taking on India in the much awaited clash on September 2. The Men in Blue have won the last three meetings against Pakistan in ODIs. Ashwin feels the depth in Pakistan squad makes them serious contenders for Asia Cup and subsequent World Cup. "It is all down to their (Pakistan's) squad depth. Pakistan has invariably developed exceptional cricketers. "Thanks to its tape-ball cri

Asia Cup SL vs BAN Preview: Missing key players, teams eye winning start

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be eager to shake off modest ODI form and spate of injuries to key players as they seek to start their Asia Cup campaign on a winning note when they face each other here on Thursday. Sri Lanka, who won the Asia Cup in 2022 in its T20 avatar, could not even announce their squad for this edition till Tuesday, courtesy niggles and COVID-19 infection to a couple of players. The Lankans lost Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara and Dilshan Madhushanka to various injuries, while Kusal Perera, who last played an ODI in 2021, is yet to make full recovery from COVID-19 infection. But even before these setbacks, Sri Lanka's run in the ODIs this year has been sub-par. They started the year with a 0-3 drubbing at the hands of India, and then lost to New Zealand 0-2. The Islanders managed to beat Afghanistan at home before mounting a good run in the ICC Qualifiers in Harare, but the inability to lift their game against top opponents will worry ...

Asia Cup 2023: Bangladesh jolted, Litton Das ruled out due to illness

Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das was on Wednesday ruled out of the entire duration of Asia Cup cricket tournament due to illness, dealing a blow to the side ahead of their campaign opener against hosts Sri Lanka in Pallekele. Das could not recover from a viral fever, and he did not travel to Sri Lanka whom Bangladesh face in their opening match on Thursday. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has named 30-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Anamul Haque Bijoy as Das' replacement. Bijoy will join the squad in Sri Lanka later on Wednesday. "Bangladesh opening batsman Litton Kumer Das, who could not travel to Sri Lanka with the Asia Cup squad due to viral fever, has been ruled out of the tournament as he has not recovered from the illness," the BCB said in a statement. "The National Selection Panel of BCB has named 30-year-old fellow right-hander Anamul Haque Bijoy as Litton's replacement." Anamul Haque has played 44 ODIs and has scored 1254 runs which include three hundreds. His l

Maruti to Amul: Disney Star onboards 18 sponsors for Asia Cup 2023

Asia Cup 2023 is set to take place from August 30 to September 17 and the tournament will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar

India to Pakistan: All you need to know about all 6 teams in Asia Cup 2023

Asia Cup 2023 will mark the return of the ODI format, preceding the 50-over World Cup. Check squads of all six teams, key players to watch out here

Mountains to Multan: A look at Nepal's journey to their first-ever Asia Cup

Nepal did not drop even a single game in the ACC Premier Cup, the qualifying tournament for the Asia Cup 2023. At one point in time, they won 11 ODIs out of 12 to reach the Cricket World Qualifier 202

We want be competitive against PAK and India: Nepal captain Rohit Paudel

Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel has asserted that his team is capable of being competitive against hosts Pakistan and India in the 2023 Asia Cup, starting tomorrow. The Nepal team is all set to make their Asia Cup debut, having been clubbed in Group A alongside the hosts and India. "We are playing for the first time, and it's a big achievement for all of us. Pakistan is a very good side, and we want to give a competitive game to them, as well as India. So, we deserve to be here," cited Paudel during the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. When asked about the biggest difference between his side and the Pakistanis, he said that barring experience, there is not much difference between the two sides. "The difference would be the experience. If you count on skills, both batting and bowling are the same (for both sides). But, if you count on experience, Pakistan is an experienced side." "Both the teams have world-class bowlers and batsmen. Our focus is to win one ball (at a time), regard

Would have been nice if Asia Cup was held in Pakistan n its entirety: Babar

Pakistan captain Babar Azam doesn't want to make a hue and cry about 'Hybrid Model' of hosting the Asia Cup but felt that it would have been nice to have hosted the marquee tournament in his country in its entirety. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have hosting rights for the Asia Cup but the Asian Cricket Council headed by Jay Shah opted for 'Hybrid Model' where Sri Lanka became the co-hosts after it was clear that Indian cricket team won't travel to Pakistan. "If you ask me, it would have been good if the whole tournament would have been held in Pakistan but unfortunately nothing can be done about it," Pakistan skipper Babar said at the pre-tournament media conference ahead of the opening match against minnows Nepal. Pakistan start on Wednesday (Aug 30) against Nepal in Multan and then fly to Sri Lanka the very next day for the big ticket clash against India at Pallekele on September 2. Within 24 hours (September 3), they are back in Lahore for their Super Four game on September 6

Asia Cup 2023, PAK vs NEP preview: Pakistan lock horns with Nepal in Multan

Pakistan will begin their campaign in the Asia Cup on Wednesday taking on Nepal in the city's sweltering heat as multi-team international cricket returns to the country after nearly 15 years. It has been a long, rough road for Pakistan cricket ever since the militant attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March, 2009. Following the attack, not only did Pakistan lose the Champions Trophy hosting rights but also its share of the World Cup matches in 2011. With the International Cricket Council (ICC) and member nations reluctant to visit the country because of security reasons, Pakistan went without an international game at home for nearly eight years against top-tier teams. Which is why, the four matches of the Asia Cup being held in the country hold great significance for Pakistan, who have also been awarded the 2025 Champions Trophy. Pakistan, who recently rose to No. 1 in ODI rankings after a clean sweep of the ODI series against Afghanistan in Sri Lanka, should win comfortab