Mohammad Amir Challenge for India at Asia Cup Clash with Pakistan

The Indian team is still licking the wounds inflicted by Mohammad Amir’s devastating bowling spell at the ICC’s Champions Trophy. Now the Indian team, led by determined Virat Kohli, is gearing-up again to face the likes of Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali in the recently announced India-Pakistan Clash in Asia Cup. 

The International Cricket Council on Tuesday announced that India and Pakistan will face each other in Dubai after drawing the same group for the Asia Cup 2018. The two teams last faced each other in the finals of previous year’s ICC Champions Trophy in England, where Pakistan humbled a strong Indian side.

Given the strained relations between India and Pakistan, bilateral cricketing ties between the two nations continue to remain suspended post the 2008 terror attack in Mumbai for which India holds Pakistan responsible. Now the two nations meet only in international tournaments of the ICC.

The 2018 edition of the Asia Cup was originally supposed to take place in India but due to strained India-Pakistan relations, it was shifted to the United Arab Emirates. The Asia Cup 2018 will begin from September 15 with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh playing each other in the opening game. India will take on Pakistan on September 19th in Dubai. The final will be played in Dubai on September 28.

Asia Cup in 2016 was played in the T20 format but this year’s Asia Cup will revert back to the traditional 50 over format. Currently, India is second in the ICC rankings for One Day Internationals while Pakistan stands at the fifth spot.

The Asia Cup 2018 will feature India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and a qualifier nation. UAE, Singapore, Oman, Nepal, Malaysia and Hong Kong will fight it out for the remaining one spot.

India-Pakistan rivalry in cricket is one of the most popular cricketing rivalries in the world. Much to the excitement of the cricket fans on both sides of the border, a cricket match between India and Pakistan is keenly looked forward to. India will be the defending champions going into the Asia Cup 2018 and will look to clinch its 7th Asia Cup Title, while Pakistan bowling attack led by fearsome Mohammad Amir will look ruffle the Indians again.

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