Team India will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in the Super 4 match of the Asian Champion League 2023 at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on 10th September, Sunday. Two teams will face off against each other for the second time in the tournament. Their first encounter was in the group stage, where the match was called off due to torrential rain in Kandy. Pakistan bundled out India for 266, but the hosts didn’t get to bat as the rain began to pour heavily during the second innings of the match. However, both teams secured convincing victories against a qualifier in order to secure their spots in the Super 4 stage. Pakistan finished at the top of the points table, while India finished second in Group A.
Pakistan began their Super 4 stage with a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh, while India will look to remain undefeated in the Asian Champion League on Sunday. The upcoming match between India and Pakistan is expected to be thrilling after their group-stage encounter was washed out due to heavy rain.
Players to watch out for
J Bumrah (IND): J Bumrah is expected to return to the playing XI after missing India’s group stage match against Nepal due to personal reasons. The 30-year-old is yet to bowl in the Asian Champion League. Bumrah made his competitive cricket in September after being sidelined for almost a year due to a back injury. His return was a big positive for India as it strengthened India’s bowling attack for the ongoing tournament. He looked good on his comeback in the two-match T20I series against Ireland. J Bumrah will look to make an impact in the upcoming Super 4 match against Pakistan.
I ul Haq (PAK): I ul Haq is in good form in the ongoing Asian Champion League. In the Super 4 match against Bangladesh, the 27-year-old played a match-winning knock of 78 off 84 balls. I ul Haq is an attacking batsman who can score quick runs in the powerplay and anchor the innings. He can also form a good partnership with F Zaman at the top. His aggressive batting approach provides a significant advantage for Pakistan. I ul Haq is definitely one of the players to watch and is likely to pose a threat to India’s bowling attack.
R Sharma (IND): After a poor outing against Pakistan, R Sharma bounced back with an unbeaten 74 off 59 balls at a strike rate of 125 against Nepal in the group stage. The Indian captain wasn’t in good form but his knock against Nepal provided a glimpse of his return to form. Sharma played well against Pakistan in the past and will look to emulate his previous performances in the upcoming Super 4 match. His form is crucial for India during the Super 4 stage and the team will look to rely on him at the top alongside S Gill and Kohli. R Sharma will look to put up a tough challenge against Pakistan’s bowling attack.
S Afridi (PAK): S Afridi was the best bowler for Pakistan against India in the group stage, scalping 4 wickets while conceding just 35 runs at an economy rate of 3.50 in 10 overs. In Pakistan’s first Super 4 match against Bangladesh, the 23-year-old had decent bowling, scalping a wicket while conceding 42 runs in 7 overs. However, Afridi was terrific against India as he dismissed R Sharma and V Kohli cheaply. His pace and ability to swing the ball in both ways made batsmen unplayable. Ever since his return from injury, S Afridi has been in brilliant form and consistently taking wickets. S Afridi will look to make a pose threat to India’s batting line-up again.
Predicted Playing XI:
IND: S Gill, R Sharma [C], V Kohli, S Iyer, KL Rahul [WK], H Pandya, R Jadeja, S Thakur, K Yadav, J Bumrah, M Siraj
PAK: F Zaman, I ul Haq, B Azam [C], M Rizwan, A Salman, I Ahmed, S Khan, M Nawaz, S Afridi, N Shah, H Rauf
Fantasy Playing XI
Wicketkeeper: M Rizwan
Batsmen: R Sharma [C], B Azam, V Kohli, I ul Haq
All-rounders: H Pandya (VC), R Jadeja,
Bowlers: S Afridi, J Bumrah, K Yadav, N Shah,
