India and Pakistan will resume their historic cricket rivalry when both teams clash in the Asia Cup 2023 group-stage game on Saturday, September 2. Pallekele International Cricket Stadiums is set to host the high-voltage clash between two giants but rain threatens to interrupt the game in Kandy.
Balagolla storm is set to bring heavy rain on Saturday and fans are likely to witness another upset. Both teams are slotted into Group A where Pakistan recorded a huge 238-run win over Nepal in the tournament opener on August 30. But rain is set to play a spoilsport in India's opening game once again.
According to Google Weather, there are 56% to 78% chances of rain during the game time with strong cloud cover throughout the day. Temperature is likely to hover around 25 degrees Celcius with 92% humidity in the starting stages of the match (At 3:00 PM IST). Another weather report (MET) predicts 68% precipitation an hour before the game, so, both teams are likely to play on the wet outfield.
Rain also interrupted the ongoing Sri Lanka's opening game against Bangladesh at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on August 31. There were mild showers during the first half of the match which stopped the play for a few minutes. Pallekele host India's both group-stage games (On September 2 and 4) while Colombo's R Premadasa Stadium host six matches, including the final. So, fans are likely to witness rain interruptions for the majority of Asia Cup 2023 matches.
India vs Pakistan match tickets were sold out within minutes of the announcement by the organisers. Despite the rain threat, fans are expected to turn up in numbers to witness the highly-anticipated clash. India and Pakistan can clash with each other three times in the tournament if both teams make the final on September 17.
