The commencement of Asia Cup 2023 came with a bitter disappointment for Indian cricket fans as the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan match being held in Sri Lanka was called off after a heavy spell of rain interrupted the match right before Pakistan’s batting.
After winning the toss, Rohit Sharma-led Team India had opted to bat first, kicking off the match with a rocky start as Pakistan’s strong bowling and fielding made the entire team crumble, with both Sharma and Virat Kohli only scoring 15 runs collectively.
Even young batter Shubman Gill failed to deliver despite toiling hard, scoring only 10 runs off 32 deliveries. Team India lost all their wickets before the end of their 50-over inning, with Pak bowler Shaheen Afridi doing the most damage.
With the India vs Pakistan match being called off due to the heavy rains, both teams were given one point in the Asia Cup 2023 table. However, this one point proved more beneficial for Pakistan than it did for India, according to the points table.
Having already scored a couple of points before the IND vs PAK match, Pakistan has now qualified for the Super Four with a total of three points. Earlier, Pakistan had scored two points to beat Nepal in a thrilling match.
While the rain ended up taking Pakistan to the Super Four, India didn’t end up benefiting greatly from the rains since they still had to fight for their place in the Super Four. India will end up facing Nepal for their spot in the Super 4 in Asia Cup 2023.
The India vs Nepal match is set to take place on Monday, September 4, but it is expected that rain will play spoilsport once again in the upcoming match. If the rain washes out India’s next match as well, this will guarantee the team a spot in the Super Four in Group A fixtures.