India too hot to handle for Pakistan in Super 4 game!

In the 3rd match of the Super Four round of the Asia Cup 2023 tournament in Colombo, India emerged victorious against Pakistan. The game lasted for two days and India won by a significant margin of 228 runs. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul scored unbeaten centuries, while Kuldeep Yadav took a five-wicket haul to contribute to India's triumph.

Image Credits: ESPN Cricinfo

Toss Update: Pakistan won the toss and opted to field first.

On Sunday, September 10th, India batted first and scored 356 runs, losing only two wickets in 50 overs. The opening batsmen, Rohit Sharma (56 off 49) and Shubman Gill (58 off 52), got off to a great start, each scoring a half-century.

India's no. 3 and no. 4 batsmen dealt a heavy blow to Pakistan by both scoring unbeaten centuries! Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 122 runs from 94 balls, while KL Rahul scored an unbeaten 111 runs from 106 balls. Their partnership of 233 runs for the third wicket set the foundation for India to score a massive total in the match.

Pakistan fell short in their chase of 357 runs, managing only 128 runs and losing eight wickets in just 32 overs. Unfortunately, they had to play without Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, both of whom were injured and couldn't take the field during their batting innings. Notably, Haris Rauf did not feature on the reserve day (Monday) and bowled only five overs on the first day. Meanwhile, Naseem Shah had to leave the field on the second day after bowling just two deliveries in his 10th over due to a hand injury.

During their run-chase, the Pakistani batting line-up appeared to lack energy with the Indian pacers in top form at the start of the innings. Bumrah, Hardik, and Shardul each took one wicket, while Kuldeep Yadav had an impressive 5-wicket haul. Although three Pakistan players scored in the 20s, none of them managed to turn it into a substantial contribution.

Match result: India defeated Pakistan by a margin of 228 runs.

Virat Kohli was awarded Player of the Match for his unbeaten 122 off 94 balls, including 9 fours and 3 sixes.

Brief Scores: India: 356-2 in 50 overs (Virat Kohli 122*, KL Rahul 111*) defeated Pakistan: 128-8 in 32 overs (Fakhar Zaman 27, Kuldeep Yadav 5-25) by a margin of 228 runs