Asia Cup 2023 weather update: Pallekele weather report for September 2 for India vs Pakistan match
Team India will begin their Asia Cup 2023 campaign with a clash against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
The Men in Green have already played one game in the continental tournament. They thrashed Nepal by 238 runs to start their campaign on a bright note and will hope to continue their winning run against India.
Rohit Sharma and company, on the other hand, have named a full-fledged side and will hope to settle their combination for the ICC ODI World Cup.
However, they will miss the service of wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul in the first two matches due to injury. Ishan Kishan is likely to slot in the middle order and take up the wicketkeeping job.
Meanwhile, much to the dismay of fans, the weather doesn't look bright at all. According to Accuweather, there is a 50 percent probability of precipitation throughout the game, with significant cloud cover. There is also a chance of thunderstorms right before the start of the game.
The temperature is expected to hover around 22-23 degrees Celsius. The humidity is likely to be in the 90s, with the real feeling to be a degree or two higher than the original temperature.
There is a high chance of no play being possible on Saturday due to inclement weather.
"As a team, what we see is we have an opposition to play tomorrow and see what we want to do" - Indian skipper Rohit Sharma
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma played down the rivalry against Pakistan ahead of their much-anticipated clash. He stated that they are bothered about the rivalry and will play it as a normal match.
"There are six very competitive teams in the Asia Cup and on a given day anyone can beat anyone," Rohit told reporters on the eve of the match.
"Rivalry is there for people to talk about. As a team, what we see is we have an opposition to play tomorrow and see what we want to do. What is going to help us is to keep doing the right things on the field," he added.
Can India beat Pakistan to open their Asia Cup 2023 campaign? Let us know in the comment section.