Virat Kohli and KL Rahul will open for ICT against Pakistan’s bowling attack on September 11, 2023. This is due to Sunday’s rainstorms, which ruined a lot of enjoyment for fans. The Asia Cup 2023 organizers anticipated this outcome, so they prepared a reserve day at R. Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka well in advance of the match.
India looks to be in a dominant position at the moment. Each opener achieved a fifty, resulting in a partnership of 121 runs. Sharma’s shot against Shadab Khan fell short of the distance to land in the running hands of Faheem Ashraf. The Indian side saw another wicket drop after 2 runs when Gill attempted an early pick delivered by Shaheen Afridi. Agha was the man on the spot for the catch.
Both openers exited the pitch at 123 runs, having scored a total of 121 runs. The strike rate was notable at 7.5. It is now trading at 6.08 with Kohli and Rahul on the field.
Pakistan has a chance to gather momentum with length and drops. Rain has barely worked in favor of ICT. However, the side can manage to pull the rate back to 7.5. Kohli is taking his time at a rate of 50. Rahul is taking care of the other end at the strike of 60.71. Previous openers were batting at 114.29 and 111.54, respectively.
Amazingly, they both maintained their positions during the powerplay. Given that they execute with a brand new ball, Naseem and Afridi are the dominant players in this session. The Indian skipper was well-positioned after facing the majority of Naseem’s deliveries. Gill was handling Afridi with boundary shots.
Two bowlers who kept the batting under control were Naseem Shah and Faheem Ashraf. Shadab Khan and Shaheen Afridi were rather lucky to get mistimed shots.
Pakistan would have had to pursue the following score if play had resumed on September 10, 2023, without ICT batting.
- 181 runs in 20 overs
- 187 runs in 21 overs
- 194 runs in 22 overs
- 200 runs in 23 overs
- 206 runs in 24 overs
based on how much time was available for the game.
The contest has now moved to the reserve day. That means that the game will resume from 24.2 overs with India batting at 147 runs with a loss of 2 wickets. It will be tricky for either side to bat or bowl. India have odds in their favor per various cricket betting platforms, but Pakistan can still find a way to mend with the batting order.
KL Rahul is making his long-awaited return. So is Bumrah. The ICT management is intrigued as to how they perform in the field.
A score of 300+ runs is still attainable. That will be a mammoth task for Babar’s men to chase. That makes it more desirable for Sharma’s men to go after it.
