Asia Cup 2023 India vs Pakistan Prediction: The 16th edition of the Asia Cup is all set to commence on August 30 with Pakistan set to clash against Nepal in the tournament opener in Multan. While Pakistan vs Nepal will be the official start to the tournament, most of the fans are awaiting the heated India vs Pakistan game, which is scheduled to be held on September 2nd.
Table of Contents
Regarded as the mother of all battles in the sport of cricket, the India vs Pakistan game never fails to draw public attention. With so much buildup and anticipation for the game, it indeed becomes a mouthwatering contest for the fans and even for the players.
This time in the Asia Cup 2023, the possibility of multiple India vs Pakistan clashes is very high. There is a chance that the two Asian giants could meet not once, or twice, but thrice in the same tournament.
Meanwhile, the first interaction between India and Pakistan during the Asia Cup 2023 will be on September 2nd at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
Asia Cup 2023 India vs Pakistan Prediction
Former Indian captain and BCCI chief, Sourav Ganguly predicted the winner of the India vs Pakistan contest, although, diplomatically. He acknowledged the prowesses of both teams, who have been doing so well in the international circuit in the recent past.
“It is very difficult for me to choose a favourite. They are both good teams. Pakistan is a good team, and of course, India is a very good team. There are no favourites; whoever plays well will win the game,” said Sourav Ganguly interacting with media in Kolkata.
Dada was left impressed with the comeback of Jasprit Bumrah and also heaped praises on the selection committee for including Axar Patel into the side, who will give extra depth to the Indian batting while being a spin bowling option as well.
“Bumrah was good in Ireland and it is a very good thing. He started his stint with T20Is and now in ODIs, he will have to bowl 10 overs. So with time, his fitness will get better. You can only have three spinners and I think they have done the right thing by picking Axar (Patel) because he can bat,” he concluded.
Former Indian coach, Mohan Lal reckons India are the favourites to win the upcoming Asia Cup 2023, but he expressed his concerns for the World Cup 2023.
“I am sure that they will win the Asia Cup but in the World Cup, any six teams – Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa… are the 6 top teams. Everybody has a chance,” he told Hindustan Times.
India vs Pakistan three rounds Asia Cup 2023
Expectedly, India and Pakistan are very likely to meet thrice in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. Their round one will be held on September 2nd, which is a group stage clash.
Notably, India and Pakistan are grouped alongside Nepal in the Group A. The other group consists of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Considering how formidable India and Pakistan are, it’s a no-brainer that these two teams will proceed to the Super 4s, brushing aside the slim chances for Nepal.
The India vs Pakistan round two will be held in the Super 4 stage. The fixture is slated to be held on September 10 in Colombo.
If everything goes well for India and Pakistan, the two teams would likely advance to the Final of the Asia Cup 2023 as well, which would be round three of India vs Pakistan on September 17.
Below are the India and Pakistan squads for the Asia Cup 2023:
India and Pakistan Squad
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (travelling reserve).
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Tayyab Tahir (travelling reserve).
ALSO READ: Asia Cup 2023: India Schedule, Team, Squad, Venue, Format, Where to Watch, all you need to know
For more details head to ICC’s official website.