A persistent rain in Kandy means there was no resumption of the match after the end of the India innings as the high octane clash between Pakistan and Inida ended in no result at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium .

Pakistan set up a chase of 267 runs after bowling out India 266 in 48.5 overs.

Pakistani speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi rattled India's batting lineup as Pakistan bowled their arch-rivals out for 266 runs.

Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan scored an unbeaten partnership of 61 runs off 65 balls at the half stage of the Indian innings after Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf ripped apart India’s top order.

India were all out for 266 in 48.5 overs.

Afridi destroyed the Indian top batting line-up as he clean-bowled rivals’ kingpins – Captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He again returned to take the key wickets of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in the 44^th over to stop Indian charge that was revived by Pandya and Ishan Kishan after a disastrous start.

Rohit Sharma scored 11 runs off 22 balls when Shaheen Afridi uprooted his stumps while Virat Kohli managed to score only four runs off six balls.

Third to go was Shreyas Iyer as Pakistan Pakistan continued to dent India's top order with Haris Rauf making a significant impact. Delivering a blistering ball at 147kph, Haris opted for a shorter length, catching Indian batsman Iyer off-guard. Rushed into a hook shot, Iyer managed a solid connection but ended up dispatching the ball into the air, leading to a well-judged overhead catch by Fakhar at short midwicket.

Despite starting his innings with intent, Iyer was sent back to the pavilion with a score of 14 off just 9 balls. This wicket pushes India into a precarious position at 50 for 3 in 11 overs.

Rauf next sent opener Shubhman Gill back to the pavilion when Gill was clean bowled on the first ball of the 15th over. He scored 10 runs off 32 balls. 

Then he again gave Pakistan a much-needed breakthrough in the 38^th over when Kishan was caught by captain Babar Azam off Rauf’s bowling to end 138-run fifth-wicket partnership. Kishan scored a brilliant 82 runs off 81 balls. He hit nine boundaries and two sixes in his innings.

Things were looking gloomy for Pakistan before Afridi returned and his double-wicket over derailed India's comeback. Pandya failed to read a slower delivery and gave Agha Salman a simple catch at extra cover. He scored 87 runs off 90 balls with the help of seven boundaries and a six.

Then Afridi got the wicket of Jadeja in the same over who was caught behind by wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan. Jadeja made 14 runs off 22 balls.

Naseem Shah who bowled beautifully with new ball but without success got the wicket of Shardul Thakur in the next over when Shadab Khan pulled off a brilliant catch.

Then Kuldeeb Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah added valuable 19 runs for the ninth wicket before Naseem again struck to remove Yadav when he was caught behind by Rizwan. He then rounded off the Indian batting by snarling the last wicket of Jasprit Bumrah who score valuable 16 runs off 14 balls as India were all out for 266 runs in 48.5 overs.

Pakistan spinners' failure to squeeze the innings in the middle order gave India a reprieve when it was looking that India may be bowled out for a below par score.

Shadab conceded 57 runs in his nine overs, Muhammad Nawaz 55 runs in eight overs and Agha Salman 21 runs in four overs. They also failed to take any wickets.

Shaheen was the pick of the day among the bowlers as he took all important wickets at the right time and finished his 10 overs spell with impressive figures of 4-35.

Rauf was expensive as Indian batsmen targeted him well and he ended the match with figures of 3-58 in 9 overs. Naseem was brilliant with the ball as he finished the match with figures of 3-38 in 8.5 overs.

Pakistan bowl first

Pakistan to bowl first as India's captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first in what promises to be a high-voltage Asia Cup encounter being played in Sri Lankan city of Kandy on Saturday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Commenting on the decision, Sharma acknowledged the unpredictable weather but emphasized the importance of staying focused. "There is a hint of weather disruption, but our goal is to rise to the challenge and make the most of the situation on the field," he stated.

Interestingly, Pakistan's skipper Babar Azam echoed Sharma's sentiments and admitted that had he won the toss, Pakistan would also have opted to bat. Highlighting Pakistan's advantage, Azam remarked, "Our team has been in Sri Lanka for over a month. This experience will surely give us an edge and help us clinch crucial matches."

Both teams understand the importance and intensity of this fixture. Azam, expressing confidence in his squad, said, "This is a high-intensity game, but we are well-prepared and looking forward to making our nation proud. We have batted first had we won the toss today."

Sharma, meanwhile, spoke about the Indian team's preparations, revealing that they had recently undergone a rigorous six-day training camp in Bangalore. "The Asia Cup is a premier tournament with top-tier teams participating. We need to focus on our game and our strategies for the day," Sharma emphasised.

Fans of both teams have more reasons to be excited, as the Indian side announced several additions to their squad. Sharma confirmed that Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah have made a comeback. "We also have Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur. Plus, our spin department looks strong with the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja," he added.

The stage is set for one of cricket's most iconic duels. With the teams locked and loaded, this Asia Cup showdown promises to be a thrilling chapter in the storied rivalry between Pakistan and India.

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TEAMS

Pakistan’s unchanged playing XI: 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Agha Salman, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Naseem Shah, 11 Haris Rauf

India's playing XI: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Jasprit Bumrah