Pakistan retain same playing XI for India clash in Asia Cup 2023; Shaheen Afridi declared fit following niggle 

Pakistan have named the same winning combination for the upcoming match against India in the 2023 Asia Cup. Pacers Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf were taken off the field in Multan during the tournament opener against Nepal, but both have been declared fit and mark their presence in the playing XI.

Despite Fakhar Zaman's shaky form of late, Pakistan have retained him at the top of the order alongside Imam-ul-Haq. Skipper Babar Azam unquestionably appears at No.3, while the middle order comprises of wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed and Salman Ali Agha.

Iftikhar Ahmed quashed the talk surrounding the fraility of Pakistan's lower middle-order by scoring a blistering century against Nepal, a few days back.

All-rounders Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan make up the spin department for the team, and provide batting depth at the same time. The duo will be key in Pakistan's hopes of winning the encounter, considering the spin friendly conditions and Team India's heavy right-handed batting unit.

Much to the relief of many in Green, the fiery pace trio forge the seam bowling department. They bowled five overs each in Pakistan's mammoth win over Nepal and collectively took five wickets. Shaheen and Naseem are crucial with the new ball for the Men in Green, and they will also bank on Rauf's raw pace to trouble the Indian batters later on.

Team India will announce their playing XI at the toss as usual. Skipper Rohit Sharma had downplayed the hype surrounding the clash during the pre-match press conference:

"Rivalry is there for people to talk about. As a team, what we see is we have an opposition to play tomorrow and see what we want to do. What is going to help us is to keep doing the right things on the field."

Rain is expected to play a central figure in the proceedings at the Pallekele International Stadium, with forecast predicting heavy showers throughout the day. The recent Group B contest between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh also witnessed rain, but it was only a passing shower and as a result, a full game was played.

Pakistan playing XI for Asia Cup 2023 group stage match against India

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

The Men in Green had announced their playing XI for the clash against Nepal a day prior the the fixture as well. Babar Azam had later stated that the move was primarily to give the team confidence.

India and Pakistan will lock horns in the group stage encounter of the 2023 Asia Cup on Saturday, September 2 at the Pallekele International Stadium.

Who will win the upcoming clash between the two heavyweights? Let us know what you think.