Asia Cup encounter between Pakistan and India ends in a ‘no result’ due to rain
Rain Halts Pakistan vs India Clash in Asia Cup
A thrilling encounter between Pakistan and India in the group stage of the Asia Cup was cut short due to rain at Pallekele, Sri Lanka. The match ended without a result as the weather refused to cooperate.
Batting first, India managed to score 266 runs before being bowled out in 48.5 overs. Ishan Kishan’s impressive knock of 82 runs and Hardik Pandya’s contribution of 87 helped India set a decent target for their opponents. However, it was Shaheen Afridi who stole the show with his remarkable bowling figures of 4-35.
Unfortunately for both teams and cricket fans around the world, rain interrupted play during the interval and continued until it became impossible to resume with a minimum requirement of 20 overs per side.
This turn of events means that Pakistan, having won their opener against Nepal earlier, has secured qualification for the super four stage of the tournament. On the other hand, if India manages to avoid defeat by Nepal in their final Group A game at Pallekele on Monday, they will also progress further into the competition.
The Indian innings got off to a shaky start as they found themselves struggling at 66-4 early on. However, an exceptional partnership between Kishan and Hardik resurrected their hopes as they put together a solid stand of 138 runs on board.
Despite this resurgence from Kishan and Hardik, things took a downturn for India after their dismissals. The team lost their last five wickets for just 27 runs, with fast bowlers Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah claiming three wickets each to restrict India’s total.
It is worth noting that this match was played in Sri Lanka as both Pakistan and Sri Lanka were chosen as co-hosts of the Asia Cup tournament. Political tensions between Pakistan and India have only allowed them to face off in ICC global tournaments or Asia Cup matches held at neutral venues since 2013.
Pakistan’s first super four game will take place at home in Lahore against either Bangladesh or Afghanistan, while the remainder of the tournament will be staged in Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka.
The conclusion of this gripping encounter serves as a reminder that unpredictable weather can play spoilsport even in high-stakes cricket matches like these. Fans now eagerly await the start of the upcoming 50-over World Cup hosted by India, set to begin on October 5th.