The Indian cricket team is taking on Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2023 campaign opener clash at the Pallekele International Stadium. Ahead of the start of the match in Kandy, India’s number 4 batter Shreyas Iyer made a nervous revelation on his selection, which also marked his debut appearance in an international game against arch-rivals Pakistan.
Speaking to Star Sports after the Indian cricket team finalized their playing XI for the clash against Pakistan, Shreyas Iyer confessed that he never imagined that he would eventually make it to the Asia Cup 2023 squad before admitting that his selection was rather startling.
He said: “I never imagined I would be playing the Asia Cup because the way I was recovering as it was going slow and steady and the suddenly I was able to pass the test and was pain free a week before the selection. I was happy and couldn’t digest the fact that I was selected,”
Shreyas Iyer Made A Confession Ahead Of IND vs Pak Clash
The India vs. Pakistan clash will also be Shreyas Iyer’s maiden appearance in an international game against Pakistan after having missed the opportunity during the three T20I meetings across Asia Cup and T20 World Cup last year. Talking about the same, Iyer revealed that the nervousness of being part of a high-octane game kept him up throughout the night. He said:
“I was nervous last night, couldn’t sleep. I am super excited to play this match against Pakistan. It’s a phenomenal feeling to be honest as they are the number 1 team at the moment,”
Further, Iyer also revealed captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid’s special message to the team ahead of the clash against Pakistan. He said:
“We are privileged to be a part of this team and journey with Rahul sir (Dravid) as the coach and under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. The spirits are high in the dressing room and we are looking forward to this game,”
India vs. Pakistan Playing XI:
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Agha, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
