India vs Pakistan is the biggest headline for all the cricket fans in the first week of Asia Cup 2023. The two-arch rivals are set to lock horns against each other in the third match of the tournament and as rain has a mood to intervene in the contest, fans hope for the best ahead of the match in Pallekele.
India and Pakistan's rivalries are touted as the biggest cricket spectacle in the world. The two arch-rivals have displayed jaw-dropping encounters in their cricketing history coupled with some heated battles and memorable moments. Due to political tensions between the two nations, the teams meet in multi-nation tournaments like World Cup and Asia Cup. This will be the first time after the 2019 World Cup that India take on Pakistan in an ODI game. The group stage match at Old Trafford, Manchester was the final ODI contest that these two sides played against each other.
Five out of favour Indian players from India's last ODI meeting with Pakistan
However, a lot has changed in the Indian dressing room since that meeting four years ago. The Indian team has witnessed the retirement of World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni apart from a few other changes to the team. Four players were part of the 2019 World Cup playing XI vs Pakistan that are not part of the Indian squad in the current Asia Cup tournament. All-rounders Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav are out of favour from the Indian team, while bowlers Yuzvendra Chahal, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are also out of the squad that is facing the Asian teams. Dinesh Karthik, who was also part of the squad for the 2019 tournament, is out of contention for a spot in the team.
Notably, Shikhar Dhawan was also part of the Indian squad for the World Cup and is out of favour in the Indian team right now, but he was injured before the Pakistan fixture in 2019 and was not considered for selection. Rishabh Pant was called in as Dhawan's cover but he is not available to be picked in India's current squad.
