India will kickoff their Asia Cup 2023 campaign against Pakistan on Saturday (September 2).
Following successful outings in the West Indies and Ireland, Team India is now poised for their upcoming challenge – the Asia Cup 2023. Their campaign will kick off against arch-rivals Pakistan, with the match scheduled to take place on September 2.
For the continental tournament, India has meticulously selected a 17-member squad, featuring the return of seasoned veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Additionally, this tournament marks the eagerly awaited comeback of Shreyas Iyer after a prolonged injury hiatus. However, KL Rahul remains sidelined due to fitness issues and will not be available for the first two matches.
In terms of the bowling department, the team management is undoubtedly pleased with the progress of Jasprit Bumrah, who will spearhead the pace attack alongside Mohhamad Shami. Bumrah, along with the resurgent Prasidh Krishna, who also made a successful return from injury, showcased exceptional performances in Ireland. Both these bowlers are integral parts of India’s plans for the Asia Cup.
Despite assembling a formidable lineup, former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt is of the opinion that Babar Azam and his team hold the advantage heading into the highly anticipated clash in Kandy. Butt endeavors to substantiate his assertion by drawing comparisons between the two teams.
Furthermore, Butt anticipates that the Indian team will face significant pressure owing to the weight of expectations placed upon them.
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“There are plenty of expectations from India, hence the pressure is more. And since India have not played against Pakistan for a long time for whatever reasons, their players no matter how much IPL they’ve played, they don’t have the experience of playing in such high-voltage clash. Chahe subah, dopahar, sham IPL khel le (no matter how much you play in the IPL) it does not bring the same pressure, which is during India-Pakistan series,” Butt said in a video shared on his Youtube channel.
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