Asia Cup 2023 | IND vs PAK, Super Fours, 3rd Match - Cricket Fantasy Teams After Toss

image-lmby3y4fShaheen Afridi in India-Pakistan match (AP Photos)

All set for the round 2! India and Pakistan are all set to clash for the second time in Asia Cup 2023, this time in the all-important Super Fours game. The first game between the two sides in the group stage was washed out due to rain, and with the same threat looming large this time around too, one should be very careful in selecting their fantasy teams.

The battleground for this India-Pakistan clash is the iconic R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the conditions are not expected to be easy for the batting. The pitch in itself will have help for both seamers and spinners while the overcast overhead conditions could also make life difficult for the batters. However, if the batters apply themselves, there are still runs to be scored and with quality batters and bowlers in both the teams, it promises to be a cracking encounter.

The toss becomes key in such a scenario where the two teams are almost evenly-matched and conditions are tricky. So, let's see what could be the fantasy teams in case of different toss scenarios for the high-octane India-Pakistan encounter.


Scenario 1 - If India Bats First 

If India bats first,  Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf are the must-picks for this game. The bowling unit for both the sides are pretty strong and batters will have to work hard against them. Shubman Gill has not been in great form in recent times, despite a fifty against Nepal and can be dropped from the team. Hardik Pandya is a crucial player with his all-round skills and KL Rahul can also be preferred over Rizwan as a wicketkeeper option.

Hardik Pandya is a good captain option while Shaheen Afridi can be the vice-captain of the side. Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav are the best bowling options for India.

WicketkeeperKL Rahul
BattersRohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq
All-roundersHardik Pandya, Shadab Khan
BowlersJasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi

Captain - Hardik Pandya
Vice-captain - Shaheen Afridi

Scenario 2 - If India Bats Second

If India bats second, both of the Indian openers can be avoided as the ball might do more under lights. Shreyas Iyer can be included in that case while Mohammad Rizwan can be included in place of KL Rahul. Babar Azam along with Iftikhar Ahmed can be included from the Pakistan batting group while the bowlers and all-rounders can be kept same as the first team.

Virat Kohli, the chase master is a good choice for captain while Hardik can be a vice-captain of the side.

WicketkeeperMohammad Rizwan
BattersVirat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed
All-roundersHardik Pandya, Shadab Khan
BowlersJasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi

Captain - Virat Kohli
Vice-captain - Hardik Pandya