A pair of fifties, courtesy of Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya, powered India to a total of 266 in 48.5 overs in their Asia Cup showdown against Pakistan on Saturday in Pallekele.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, with four wickets to his name, including two early dismissals of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, emerged as the standout performer for Pakistan, while Naseem Shah chipped in with three crucial wickets.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, India struggled to establish a solid foundation as Shaheen Shah Afridi swiftly removed Rohit and Virat, leaving them with just 28 runs on the scoreboard in a tense opening.
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This ODI encounter marks the first showdown between these two archrivals since 2019, adding extra intensity to the rivalry on the grand stage.
Having already secured a victory in their inaugural Asia Cup match against Nepal on home soil, Pakistan is now seeking to continue their winning streak.
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India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (w), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
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Pakistan (Playing XI): Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (w), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf