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India will kickstart their Asia Cup 2023 campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday and though Men in Blue's first and foremost priority will be the trophy, there are some personal milestones worth watching out for as well. Players could be involved in upto six matches if they reach the final. That gives them plenty of game time to reach some personal milestones and boost their statistics.
Pakistan Cricket Board is facing strong criticism from fans and a few former players over the omission of country's name on the official Asia Cup logo on participating teams' jerseys. Former captain Rashid Latif was among those who lashed out at the board soon after the Pakistan team took the field against Nepal in the opening match of the Asia Cup in Multan on Wednesday. Though Asia Cup is jointly staged by Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the former is the host of the tournament. “This is unacceptable and it is the Asian Cricket Council which must explain this oversight since the Asia Cup is their property,” he said. Since the hue and cry, PCB unofficially has tried to play down the situation by saying that the ACC had taken a decision after last year's Asia Cup that the host country's name would not be given with the Asia Cup logo in future events.
There is a lot of excitement among cricket fans, especially the Indians, for the upcoming clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in Asia Cup 2023, but there is a lot of struggle involved for a lot of these die-hard supporters of Men in Blue as tickets are sold out, so are the hotels and accommodation in Kandy, Sri Lanka, where the match is taking place. India and Pakistan will clash in their highly-anticipated Asia Cup 2023 match on Saturday at Kandy. The MD of a hotel told ANI that all the rooms are full and they are still receiving inquiries from fans.
The India-Pakistan match is one of the most anticipated cricket games in the world and with the teams not playing bilateral series since 2013, the only chance to witness this rivalry is at continental or International Cricket Council (ICC) events. With the two teams coming face-to-face in the Asia Cup 2023 on Saturday, India all-rounder Hardik Pandya outlined the fixture's importance for both the players and the fans. He spoke about the intensity that the match brings for both sides and how it ends up being a 'test of character and personality' for all the players.
The much-anticipated Asia Cup 2023 match between India and Pakistan in almost here and both teams are gearing up for the high-profile clash. Ahead of the match, Indian cricket team pacer Mohammed Shami opened up about their preparations and his personal bowling journey. India's preparations were boosted massively by the return of Jasprit Bumrah from injury and Shami believes that he will be a huge asset for them both in Asia Cup 2023 and Cricket World Cup 2023. Shami won't mind if he is asked to bowl with a worn-out Kookaburra instead of a shiny white in the ODIs, saying he does not have an ego and would purely go by the team's requirements. With Jasprit Bumrah back in the mix for the Asia Cup, it will be interesting to see who will be the Gujarat slinger's new ball partner in the match against Pakistan on Saturday.
Virat Kohli knows the cameras will be on him for the next two months. Starting with the Asia Cup and then the Cricket World Cup 2023, Virat Kohli will be expected to deliver. His first test will be in the India vs Pakistan contest in Sri Lanka on Saturday. Virat Kohli has performed well against Pakistan. His cracking six off Haris Rauf at the MCG is still talked about a lot in cricket circles. Australia's World Cup-winning spinner Brad Hogg is among the admirers of that shot. Hogg said that Kohli's hunger should be a cause of concern for the rivals. "I was looking at Virat Kohli's stats the other day. Tendulkar got a slightly better conversion rate of 100s. Virat Kohli's got a better record. I just think he has got his hunger back and a little bit of pressure taken off him. I think he's got unfinished business and that's probably the big danger for opposition teams. That innings against Pakistan here at the MCG, hitting Haris Rauf back over his head of good length. That was the best shot that I have ever seen in cricket. It was brilliant. Fans got to realize that there is a lot of pressure on Virat Kohli. He also can have ups and downs even the great Sachin Tendulkar had ups and downs. When he has got that right frame of mind and has that pressure off his back we see a dominant Virat Kohli. I am not worried about the Indian batting. I am probably worried about the Indian bowling attack. It is their bowling which doesn't get them off to a good start," he said on Backstage with Boria.
Former Pakistan cricket team batter Basit Ali has warned the Babar Azam-led side ahead of their Asia Cup clash against arch-rivals India. Pakistan and India face-off in Kandy on Saturday, September 2, and the two nations could feasibly come up against each other again later in the tournament. Basit feels that the India versus Pakistan clash will happen three times during the tournament, including the final on September 17. While Basit suggests that Pakistan has the best bowling attack in the world, as a former batter, he is wary of the threat possessed by former India captain Virat Kohli. The Asia Cup is being looked a perfect preparation for the cricket world Cup, and hence Virat Kohli's performance will be closely followed.
Pakistan secured a comprehensive 238-run win over Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup opener in Multan. With the tournament returning to Pakistan after a gap of 15 years, the home team put on a commanding performance despite a few hiccups. The highlight of the night was captain Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed's 214-run stand, the highest fifth-wicket partnership for Pakistan. Babar slammed 151 off 131 on his way to his 19th ODI century, while Iftikhar notched up his maiden ton.