PALLEKELE: The biggest rivalry in the sport of cricket history, will grace in Sri Lanka’s Pallekele on Saturday. After thrashing minnows Nepal by a margin of 238 runs, ICC top-ranked Pakistan exhumes confidence like never before. Meanwhile, India is still mending their team for the upcoming World Cup and is far from the perfect eleven to outclass a Babar Azam-led Pakistan.

Senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will make a return to the team after being rested for a doughty Caribbean tour last month. Subhman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav and Akshar Patel are the lethal team expected to win glory in the tournament.

Indian coach Dravid has confirmed that wicket-keeper batsman K L Rahul, who is part of the Indian team after an injury break, will not play in the first two matches of the Asia Cup. Ishan Kishan is expected to play as a wicketkeeper in the first two matches. Kerala player Sanju Samson is included in the team as a reserve player.

Asia Cup will be held with India, Pakistan, and Nepal in Group A and Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan in Group B.