Asia Cup 2023: India vs Pakistan toss might delay due to rain

Ahead of the high-octane game between India and Pakistan in Pallekele, fans from all corners of the world are praying for clear weather. Since the last two days, Kandy and Pallekele have received light to moderate drizzle, and it might play a spoilsport during India's iconic Asia Cup clash on Saturday, September 2.

Meanwhile, with a sigh of relief, the latest weather forecast has revealed that there will be less than a 20% chance of rain during the game. However, the weather will be cloudy, and it might come up with a little drizzling in patches. According to the weather forecast, Pallekele, which is a rain-shadow terrain area, might be affected by a storm named Balagolla. The storm is set to hit Kandy on Saturday, which is around 40 kilometers away from the ground.

Its impact will be minute, but it might delay the proceedings. According to the latest weather forecast from a renowned organization, the toss might be delayed as there are 40–50% chances of rain between 2 and 3 PM IST. However, from 3 PM onwards, the weather will get more clear and the chances of rain will also decrease, which means fans are going to witness a competitive game at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele on Saturday.

What will be India's playing XI against Pakistan?

Ahead of the crucial three-month ODI cricket campaign, the Indian team will get the first opportunity to play their best playing XI against Pakistan on Saturday. In the crucial game, the team will look to get their best players fielded. However, weather conditions might impact team selection, as India might go with four seamers, including Shardul Thakur, instead of Axar Patel. In last night's practice session, Axar Patel was not batting in the nets while Shardul took charge along with Ravindra Jadeja.

Going with these details, it seems that India might go with their top two pacers and an all-rounder, i.e., Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul, and Mohammad Siraj. Meanwhile, the spin department will be handled by Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja. Hardik Pandya will be another all-rounder with a medium-pace bowling option. On the other hand, Ishan Kishan will take the gloves off as KL Rahul is not available for selection. It's worth noting that Pakistan has already announced their playing XI, which is similar to what they played against Nepal in the first game.

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

Pakistan: 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (c), 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