IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2023 Highlights: Match called off due to persistent rain

Match has been called off officially, Pakistan qualify for Super Fours

Rain is back

If overs are reduced, Pakistan's target will be:

254 if 45 overs
239 if 40 overs
203 if 30 overs
155 if 20 overs

Rain has stopped!! iNSPECTION AT 9 pm

We have started losing overs from 8:21 PM

Rain delay again!! Will overs start to cut down now??

Jasprit Bumrah gets out after registeringhis highest ODI score. 267 target for Pakistan

How many runs can India add in the last two overs?

Crucial runs being added here for India by the tail-enders!!

250 up for India. How many more can India add?

Pakistan is back in the match!! Yet another collapse for India as they lose three wickets for just 3 runs

A huge blow for India!!!!! Shaheen Afridi nips out Hardik Pandya...Can India reach 300?

Ravindra Jadeja gets into the action now!!! Jaddu-Hardik duo in last 10 overs. We are in for a massive entertainment in last 10 overs

Despite Kishan's wicket, run-scoring continues...Hardik Pandya on fire...

Haris Rauf gives Pakistan a breakthrough they needed with Ishan Kishan's wicket in the 38th over. Ishan scored 82 off 81 balls as India bat at 204 for five after 37.4 overs.

Hardik Pandya joins Ishan Kishan to pull crucial ffity, his 11th in ODIs. The star all-rounder took only 62 balls and smashed three fifties on his way to fifty runs as India dominate with 178 for 4 after 38 overs. 

Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya continue India's fightback with a 100-run stand for the fifth wicket as India put 172 runs on the scorebaord after 33.1 overs. Ishan is batting at 70* off  71 and Hardik fights with 46* off 59 as both look to acclerate the run rate.

Ishan Kishan has brought up his fourth consecutive half-century!!! What a time to play this kind of knock!!!

India are recovering well thanks Hardik-Kishan duo. 127/4 after 25 overs

50 partnership is up between Hardik and Kishan. India looking good now at 116/4 in 23rd over

India reach 100 in 20th over!! Hardik and Ishan Kishan are in the middle of a good partnership!!!

Pakistan have lost their review!!

Ishan Kishan is the man in question!!

Left-arm spinner Nawaz is into the attack. Can he pick up a wicket?

Ishan Kishan is playing his shots!!! He has raced away to 28. India will be hoping he stays in the middle for long

Another played on!! Shubman Gill is one now off Haris Rauf. India is in deep trouble at 66/4!! Hardik Pandya is in next! Can he bail India out of trouble?

First time spin in the match!! How will India play Shadab!!!

Ishan Kishan has come out hitting. He has smacked Rauf for a six

Play has started again. Gill is key for India now

Play should resume quickly now. Rain has stopped

Rain has returned. This might give some time to India now to rethink their strategy!!

India have reached 50 after 11 overs and have lost three wickets!!

India continue to be in trouble!! Shreyas Iyer is gone and Haris Rauf dismisses him for 14. India 48/3

Shreyas Iyer hs come out to bat at four and has looked in brilliant touch. It doesn't seem as if he was out of action for a long time!!

Shaheen Afridi is breathing fire!!! Virat Kohli is gone!!!

Virat Kohli play the cover drive on the rise. Gets off the mark with a four in style!!!!!

Shaheen Afridi has castled Rohit Sharma. The break has worked for Pakistan

The covers are off and Rohit Sharma has put his helmet back on. Gill is walking out from the dressing room too. Expect Play to resume soon

Rohit Sharma is off the blocks quickly but Shubman Gill is being extremely cautious. Gill is taking his time upfront and he might soon get going!! Rain rain go away 

Rain seems to have stopped for now as the groundsmen have removed the extended covers!!! Play might start soon!! Stay tuned

Rain has started in Kandy!!! Play has stopped

Rohit Sharma flicks it non-chalantly over mid-wicket region off Shaheen!!! He is looking extremely confident at the moment

Naseem Shah will be looking to pick an early wicket with the new ball!!!

An early blip from Pakistan as Rohit Sharma is saved. First four of the match!!!!!

Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan(w), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

We will bat first. There is a bit of weather around, but can't think much about it. Got to play good cricket, you need to embrace the challenge, embrace the situation. We had some time off after the West Indies series. Everyone was up for those drills and challenges in Bangalore. Let's see what we can achieve in this tournament. It's a quality tournament with quality oppositions. At the end of the day we need to see what we can achieve as a team. Iyer is back, Bumrah is back and we got three seamers. Got two spinners today - Kuldeep and Jadeja.

Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

India will be batting first

A high quality and unique pitch. Fast bowlers can get some seam, the spinners will get some turn, and a good batter can also score a century on this wicket. With DLS in picture, the captain winning the toss might prefer to bowl first, feels former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar.

We are seeing that the players are on the field now. Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are doing light batting drills

Well this might sound great to you. The covers are coming off. Only the center square is currently covered. Hope to get a normal start.

We have some a latest update for you. There is a slight drizzle at Pallekele. But it does not look to be an issue right now. The ground is covered with covers.

The Indian team has arrived at the ground in a bus. Live visuals show the players and the support staff getting down from the bus and moving into the ground.

Team India hit the nets a day before the contest. Here are visuals from the practice sessions.

Both the teams look strong on paper but when it comes to match time together India seems to be a little behind as they have some players making a comeback after a long time. Pakistan also have issues of their own with Fakhar Zaman not being able to fire, While barring the match against Nepal, Shadab Khan has not picked seven wickets in six ODIs in 2023 so far. 

More on India's SWOT are here

More on Pakistan's SWOT are here

The weather looks kind as of now. Some Twitter users stated that was drizzling in Pallekele but visuals from Sri Lanka cricket remind me of the famous song from 3 Idiots - "Aal izz well". Clouds were hovering over the Pallekele stadium and covers were also in place. But in a video shared by Sri Lanka Cricket, they were taken off.

Pakistan have played one match in the tournament and that was a proper cakewalk against Nepal. Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmad stood tall with centuries and a fine display by the bowlers handed Pakistan a big 238-run win in the opener. They occupy the top spot in Group A and India will begin their campaign in the tournament.

India vs Pakistan, a match lakhs and crores of people keep waiting in anticipation. The two Asian Giants are all set to resume to the biggest rivalry on the cricket field as Sri Lanka's Pallekele will witness some of the finest players in action. World No.1 Pakistan face the World No.3 side India in a fight for the Asia Cup but an eye on the World Cup too. The Asian trophy is a dress rehearsal for the upcoming cricket extravaganza in India. So sit back at your comfort as I Varun Malik along with Aditya Kukalyekar, will bring you all the updates from the high-octane clash.