Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Tuesday said he is not focused on the speculations about him floating around in the cricket fraternity while asserting that he is focused on delivering for the team. Jadeja is currently part of India's squad in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 and played a crucial role in the team's five-wicket win against Pakistan in their opening game on Sunday.

Jadeja addressed the pre-match press conference ahead of India's second game against Hong Kong in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022, where he spoke about the rumours surrounding him. Jadeja has been garnering the headlines of late for reportedly falling out with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team management.

There have been reports that the all-rounder is not on talking terms with the franchise and is set to leave ahead of the new season. Jadeja's relationship with CSK went downhill after he was sacked from captaincy midway through IPL 2022 before leaving the tournament due to an injury. There were also rumours that Jadeja might not make it to India's T20 World Cup 2022 squad due to his injury.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/those-shots-were-not-necessary-sunil-gavaskar-criticises-kohli-rohits-performance-against-pakistan-511494">'Those shots were not necessary': Sunil Gavaskar criticises Kohli, Rohit's performance against Pakistan</a>

Addressing the speculations about him, Jadeja said he remains unperturbed by all the chatter as he once had to deal with a rumour that he has died. The India all-rounder said it can't get worse than that and insisted his only motive currently is to do well for India in the Asia Cup.

"You have mentioned a very minor example (of a rumour) that I won't be available for the World Cup. In between, there was a rumour that I had died. It can't get bigger than this. I don't think about all these (rumours). I focus on going to the ground, playing and performing well for the country," Jadeja said in the presser on Tuesday.

"I want to improve on whatever is needed to perform well for my team. That's it. Day in and day out, I practice bowling, batting and fielding," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/naseem-shah-cries-while-walking-back-to-dressing-room-after-battling-painful-cramps-against-india-watch-511480">Naseem Shah cries while walking back to dressing room after battling painful cramps against India - WATCH</a>

The left-hand all-rounder played a key role in India's five-wicket victory against Pakistan in their opening game in Dubai on Sunday. He was promoted to bat at no.4 in Rishabh Pant's absence and played a vital knock of 35 runs to help India chase down the target of 148 runs and kick-off their campaign with a win in the tournament.

India will face Hong Kong in their second match in the Asia Cup 2022 at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday.

Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Tuesday said he is not focused on the speculations about him floating around in the cricket fraternity while asserting that he is focused on delivering for the team.

Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Tuesday said he is not focused on the speculations about him floating around in the cricket fraternity while asserting that he is focused on delivering for the team. Jadeja is currently part of India's squad in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 and played a crucial role in the team's five-wicket win against Pakistan in their opening game on Sunday. Jadeja addressed the pre-match press conference ahead of India's second game against Hong Kong in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022, where he spoke about the rumours surrounding him. Jadeja has been garnering the headlines of late for reportedly falling out with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team management. There have been reports that the all-rounder is not on talking terms with the franchise and is set to leave ahead of the new season. Jadeja's relationship with CSK went downhill after he was sacked from captaincy midway through IPL 2022 before leaving the tournament due to an injury. There were also rumours that Jadeja might not make it to India's T20 World Cup 2022 squad due to his injury. Also Read: 'Those shots were not necessary': Sunil Gavaskar criticises Kohli, Rohit's performance against Pakistan Addressing the speculations about him, Jadeja said he remains unperturbed by all the chatter as he once had to deal with a rumour that he has died. The India all-rounder said it can't get worse than that and insisted his only motive currently is to do well for India in the Asia Cup. "You have mentioned a very minor example (of a rumour) that I won't be available for the World Cup. In between, there was a rumour that I had died. It can't get bigger than this. I don't think about all these (rumours). I focus on going to the ground, playing and performing well for the country," Jadeja said in the presser on Tuesday. "I want to improve on whatever is needed to perform well for my team. That's it. Day in and day out, I practice bowling, batting and fielding," he added. Also Read: Naseem Shah cries while walking back to dressing room after battling painful cramps against India - WATCH The left-hand all-rounder played a key role in India's five-wicket victory against Pakistan in their opening game in Dubai on Sunday. He was promoted to bat at no.4 in Rishabh Pant's absence and played a vital knock of 35 runs to help India chase down the target of 148 runs and kick-off their campaign with a win in the tournament. India will face Hong Kong in their second match in the Asia Cup 2022 at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday.

'There was a rumour that I died': Ravindra Jadeja unfazed by speculations, focused on delivering for India

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was not impressed by captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's performance against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 clash against Pakistan on Sunday. While India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the game to get off to a winning start, India's top order failed to deliver once again.

KL Rahul was sent packing on a duck in the very first over by young Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah before Rohit Sharma (12) and Virat Kohli (35) added 49 runs for the second wicket. However, the duo looked far from their best. While Rohit was struggling to middle the ball properly, Kohli did play a few dazzling strokes but was rode on luck on a few occasions.

Former India captain Gavaskar said he had always felt luck was not favouring Kohli when he was struggling to score runs in the last few months, however, luck was on his side against Pakistan on Sunday. Kohli did manage to get off to a good start and was settled in the middle but threw away his wicket after poor shot selection against spinner Mohammad Nawaz.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/naseem-shah-cries-while-walking-back-to-dressing-room-after-battling-painful-cramps-against-india-watch-511480">Naseem Shah cries while walking back to dressing room after battling painful cramps against India - WATCH</a>

While it was a half-hearted stroke, many felt there was no need for Kohli to go for a big shot immediately after Rohit's dismissal. Gavaskar said both Rohit and Kohli got out to forgettable shots and should have tried to stay longer on the crease and play big knocks as the required rate was not much.

"Today, he had a lot of luck, drop catches, a lot of inside edges, which went so close to the stumps, he had the luck. But he did capitalise on it and played some very fine shots," Gavaskar was quoted as saying by India Today.

"But one had expected that with the kind of start that he had, he should have got around 60-70. He got out immediately after Rohit got out. Both of them got out to forgettable shots. At that stage, those shots were not necessary as the asking rate wasn't 19 or 20 for them to attempt sixes at that stage.

"It was required for them to get going, get to 70-80 and then maybe go for the big shots. That should be learning from this game," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sanjay-manjrekar-lauds-unreal-hardik-pandya-after-his-all-round-blitz-vs-pakistan-in-asia-cup-511432">Sanjay Manjrekar lauds 'unreal' Hardik Pandya after his all-round blitz vs Pakistan in Asia Cup</a>

India's top three wree back in the hut inside 53 runs in the 10th over as the Men in Bluefound themeselves in a triky spot in the run-chase. However, Hardik Pandya combined with Ravidra Jadeja to steer India through and secure a thrilling five-wicket win for the team in the final over.

While Hardik scored an unbeaten 33 off 17 balls, Jadeja scored 35 off 29 bals. The duo shared a 52-run stand for the 5th wicket before Jadeja was dismissed on the first ball of the fina over. However, Hardik showed nerves of steel as he finished off the run-chase in style with a six.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was not impressed by captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's performance against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 clash against Pakistan on Sunday.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was not impressed by captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's performance against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 clash against Pakistan on Sunday. While India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the game to get off to a winning start, India's top order failed to deliver once again. KL Rahul was sent packing on a duck in the very first over by young Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah before Rohit Sharma (12) and Virat Kohli (35) added 49 runs for the second wicket. However, the duo looked far from their best. While Rohit was struggling to middle the ball properly, Kohli did play a few dazzling strokes but was rode on luck on a few occasions. Former India captain Gavaskar said he had always felt luck was not favouring Kohli when he was struggling to score runs in the last few months, however, luck was on his side against Pakistan on Sunday. Kohli did manage to get off to a good start and was settled in the middle but threw away his wicket after poor shot selection against spinner Mohammad Nawaz. Also Read: Naseem Shah cries while walking back to dressing room after battling painful cramps against India - WATCH While it was a half-hearted stroke, many felt there was no need for Kohli to go for a big shot immediately after Rohit's dismissal. Gavaskar said both Rohit and Kohli got out to forgettable shots and should have tried to stay longer on the crease and play big knocks as the required rate was not much. "Today, he had a lot of luck, drop catches, a lot of inside edges, which went so close to the stumps, he had the luck. But he did capitalise on it and played some very fine shots," Gavaskar was quoted as saying by India Today. "But one had expected that with the kind of start that he had, he should have got around 60-70. He got out immediately after Rohit got out. Both of them got out to forgettable shots. At that stage, those shots were not necessary as the asking rate wasn't 19 or 20 for them to attempt sixes at that stage. "It was required for them to get going, get to 70-80 and then maybe go for the big shots. That should be learning from this game," he added. Also Read: Sanjay Manjrekar lauds 'unreal' Hardik Pandya after his all-round blitz vs Pakistan in Asia Cup India's top three wree back in the hut inside 53 runs in the 10th over as the Men in Bluefound themeselves in a triky spot in the run-chase. However, Hardik Pandya combined with Ravidra Jadeja to steer India through and secure a thrilling five-wicket win for the team in the final over. While Hardik scored an unbeaten 33 off 17 balls, Jadeja scored 35 off 29 bals. The duo shared a 52-run stand for the 5th wicket before Jadeja was dismissed on the first ball of the fina over. However, Hardik showed nerves of steel as he finished off the run-chase in style with a six.

'Those shots were not necessary': Sunil Gavaskar criticises Kohli, Rohit's performance against Pakistan

Pakistan's pace attack impressed against India despite Babar Azam &amp; Co.'s five-wicket defeat against their arch-rivals in the opening game of Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday. While many believed Pakistan's pace battery will lack the firepower in the absence of Shaheen Shah Afridi, the likes of Naseem Shah, Shanawaz Dahani and Haris Rauf all managed to impress with their raw pace and precision.

Naseem was one of the stand-out performers for the Men in Green as the young fast bowler shone on his debut in T20Is. Playing his first T20I for Pakistan, the youngster bowled exceptionally well and got his team off to a flying start with opener KL Rahul's wicket in the very first over.

He made life difficult for the Indian batters with his pace and consistency in their 148-run chase at the Dubai International Stadium. He finished his spell with excellent figures of 2/27 in his four overs but his outing was hampered by regular cramps.

The right-arm fast bowler had clutched his lower shin during his second over but continued bowling at a good pace. However, he looked in complete discomfort when he came out to bowl the final over of his spell. He was limping after completing every delivery and had to be attended to by the team's physio before somehow completing his four overs.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/explained-how-india-pakistan-can-square-off-again-in-super-4-round-at-asia-cup-511386">Explained: How India-Pakistan can square off again in Super 4 round at Asia Cup</a>

Naseem was seen crying as he walked off the field after completing his spell while battling painful cramps in hot and humid weather in Dubai. The young fast bowler also refused to take water from his teammate on his way to the dugout and clearly looked dejected for not being able to complete the spell the way he wanted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ch1xVHvItxN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ch1xVHvItxN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ch1xVHvItxN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ch1xVHvItxN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by DBTV Sports (@dbtvsports)</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hope-its-not-long-term-gautam-gambhir-on-indias-decision-to-drop-pant-for-karthik-against-pakistan-511281">'Hope it's not long-term': Gautam Gambhir on India's decision to drop Pant for Karthik against Pakistan</a>

Despite being in immense pain, Naseem displayed great heart and bowled extremely well. However, his efforts went in vain as India went on to chase down the target of 148 runs with two balls to spare in the final over. Hardik Pandya was the hero for the Men in Blue with a match-winning knock of unbeaten 33 off 17 balls. India will next face Hong Kong in their second game on Wednesday (August 31).

Pakistan's pace attack impressed against India despite Babar Azam & Co.'s five-wicket defeat against their arch-rivals in the opening game of Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday.

Pakistan's pace attack impressed against India despite Babar Azam & Co.'s five-wicket defeat against their arch-rivals in the opening game of Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday. While many believed Pakistan's pace battery will lack the firepower in the absence of Shaheen Shah Afridi, the likes of Naseem Shah, Shanawaz Dahani and Haris Rauf all managed to impress with their raw pace and precision. Naseem was one of the stand-out performers for the Men in Green as the young fast bowler shone on his debut in T20Is. Playing his first T20I for Pakistan, the youngster bowled exceptionally well and got his team off to a flying start with opener KL Rahul's wicket in the very first over. He made life difficult for the Indian batters with his pace and consistency in their 148-run chase at the Dubai International Stadium. He finished his spell with excellent figures of 2/27 in his four overs but his outing was hampered by regular cramps. The right-arm fast bowler had clutched his lower shin during his second over but continued bowling at a good pace. However, he looked in complete discomfort when he came out to bowl the final over of his spell. He was limping after completing every delivery and had to be attended to by the team's physio before somehow completing his four overs. Also Read: Explained: How India-Pakistan can square off again in Super 4 round at Asia Cup Naseem was seen crying as he walked off the field after completing his spell while battling painful cramps in hot and humid weather in Dubai. The young fast bowler also refused to take water from his teammate on his way to the dugout and clearly looked dejected for not being able to complete the spell the way he wanted. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DBTV Sports (@dbtvsports) × Also Read: 'Hope it's not long-term': Gautam Gambhir on India's decision to drop Pant for Karthik against Pakistan Despite being in immense pain, Naseem displayed great heart and bowled extremely well. However, his efforts went in vain as India went on to chase down the target of 148 runs with two balls to spare in the final over. Hardik Pandya was the hero for the Men in Blue with a match-winning knock of unbeaten 33 off 17 balls. India will next face Hong Kong in their second game on Wednesday (August 31).

Naseem Shah cries while walking back to dressing room after battling painful cramps against India - WATCH

Hardik Pandya's all-round blitz took India past the finish line in a riveting clash against Pakistan in the Asia Cup on Sunday (August 28) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. Opting to bowl first, Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue dismissed Babar Azam's Pakistan for 147 in 19.5 overs with Bhuvneshwar Kumar returning with 4 for 26 along with Hardik's 3 for 25.

In reply, India were in a spot of bother at 89-4 in 14.2 overs, in pursuit of 148, when Hardik joined Ravindra Jadeja in the middle. While Jadeja contributed with a handy 29-ball 35, Hardik led the charge from his end, remained calm and composed as ever and took India to the target with a six, over long-on, in the final over. He remained unbeaten on 33, off 17 deliveries, to return with the Player-of-the-Match award. After the encounter, Hardik's consistency in all departments and his self-belief is being praised by many in the cricketing fraternity.

Sharing his views on the&nbsp;Sports 18&nbsp;show&nbsp;Sports Over the Top, former Indian batter-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar joined the bandwagon and lauded Pandya's ability to remain calm in difficult situations. "Just this calmness. Everything about him is currently unreal. His bowling returns are unreal, which is something that you get with others as well, but his ability to keep calm and get runs under pressure," Manjrekar said.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/explained-how-india-pakistan-can-square-off-again-in-super-4-round-at-asia-cup-511386">Explained: How India-Pakistan can square off again in Super 4 round at Asia Cup</a>

"That last over was a tricky one because Hardik was in there and played the faster bowlers mostly, so there was a rhythm of hitting against the quicker bowlers and suddenly the situation was such that Pakistan had to bring in the left-arm spinner. Jadeja got out to the first ball and then he had four balls to get those runs. The pressure is immense but the kind of shots also that he played to get those winning runs under pressure is just outstanding," Manjrekar added.

Hardik credited former captain MS Dhoni for his calmness in crunch situations while speaking to the broadcasters after the epic match between India and Pakistan.&nbsp;"I try to keep things simple as much as I can. Obviously, I have learnt this from Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) while playing with him. I learn from all the cricketers I play with. I believe that if you want to take any decision in life if you are calm it will help you take better decision. I apply the same during batting and keep my options ready," Pandya told&nbsp;Star Sports.

"In a chase like this, you always plan over-by-over. I always knew that there is one young bowler and also one left-arm spinner. We only needed 7 off the last over but even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself. I know the bowler is under more pressure than me in the 20th over. I try to keep things simple," the 28-year-old added.&nbsp;

He will now shift his focus to India's next match where Rohit &amp; Co. will face Hong Kong at the same venue on Wednesday evening (August 31).

Hardik Pandya's all-round blitz took India past the finish line in a riveting clash against Pakistan in the Asia Cup on Sunday (August 28) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.

Hardik Pandya's all-round blitz took India past the finish line in a riveting clash against Pakistan in the Asia Cup on Sunday (August 28) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. Opting to bowl first, Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue dismissed Babar Azam's Pakistan for 147 in 19.5 overs with Bhuvneshwar Kumar returning with 4 for 26 along with Hardik's 3 for 25. In reply, India were in a spot of bother at 89-4 in 14.2 overs, in pursuit of 148, when Hardik joined Ravindra Jadeja in the middle. While Jadeja contributed with a handy 29-ball 35, Hardik led the charge from his end, remained calm and composed as ever and took India to the target with a six, over long-on, in the final over. He remained unbeaten on 33, off 17 deliveries, to return with the Player-of-the-Match award. After the encounter, Hardik's consistency in all departments and his self-belief is being praised by many in the cricketing fraternity. Sharing his views on the Sports 18 show Sports Over the Top, former Indian batter-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar joined the bandwagon and lauded Pandya's ability to remain calm in difficult situations. "Just this calmness. Everything about him is currently unreal. His bowling returns are unreal, which is something that you get with others as well, but his ability to keep calm and get runs under pressure," Manjrekar said. ALSO READ | Explained: How India-Pakistan can square off again in Super 4 round at Asia Cup "That last over was a tricky one because Hardik was in there and played the faster bowlers mostly, so there was a rhythm of hitting against the quicker bowlers and suddenly the situation was such that Pakistan had to bring in the left-arm spinner. Jadeja got out to the first ball and then he had four balls to get those runs. The pressure is immense but the kind of shots also that he played to get those winning runs under pressure is just outstanding," Manjrekar added. Hardik credited former captain MS Dhoni for his calmness in crunch situations while speaking to the broadcasters after the epic match between India and Pakistan. "I try to keep things simple as much as I can. Obviously, I have learnt this from Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) while playing with him. I learn from all the cricketers I play with. I believe that if you want to take any decision in life if you are calm it will help you take better decision. I apply the same during batting and keep my options ready," Pandya told Star Sports. "In a chase like this, you always plan over-by-over. I always knew that there is one young bowler and also one left-arm spinner. We only needed 7 off the last over but even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself. I know the bowler is under more pressure than me in the 20th over. I try to keep things simple," the 28-year-old added. He will now shift his focus to India's next match where Rohit & Co. will face Hong Kong at the same venue on Wednesday evening (August 31).

Sanjay Manjrekar lauds 'unreal' Hardik Pandya after his all-round blitz vs Pakistan in Asia Cup

Hardik Pandya was the game-changer for India as he produced an exceptional all-round performance to propel Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. to a thrilling 5-wicket win against arch-rivals Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2022 opener at the Dubai International Stadium&nbsp;on Sunday. Hardik picked up a three-wicket haul before playing a match-winning knock of unbeaten 33 to take India home in a pressure run-chase.

After captain Rohit Sharma's decision to bowl first in the high-pressure clash, Indian bowlers made excellent use of the conditions and utilised the short ball well against the Pakistani batters to trouble them throughout their innings. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the bowlers for India with a four-wicket haul&nbsp;while Hardik scalped three as Pakistan were skittled out for a paltry 147 in 20 overs.

It was expected to be a tough chase for the Men in Blue, considering the bounce on offer for the pacers and it did turn out to be a tricky one at the end. India once again got off to a shaky start as Naseem Shah sent opener KL Rahul packing on a duck in the very first over before Rohit&nbsp;and Virat Kohli&nbsp;added 50 runs for the 2nd wicket.

The duo steadied the ship for the team but were dismissed in quick succession. While Rohit struggled for his 12 off 18 balls, Kohli played some fine strokes&nbsp;en route to 35 off 34 balls but once again failed to convert his start&nbsp;into a big score.

After the duo's departure, Ravindra Jadeja, who surprisingly came out to bat at no.4, added 36 runs for the fourth wicket with Surykaumar Yadav. Suryakumar was cleaned up by&nbsp;Shah after a run-a-ball 18 paving the way for Hardik's arrival as the all-rounder joined&nbsp;forces with Jadeja in the middle and took India closer to the finishing line.

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-pak-asia-cup-virat-kohli-becomes-first-indian-cricketer-to-breach-triple-figure-mark-in-all-formats-510910"> Virat Kohli becomes first Indian cricketer to play 100 matches in all three formats</a>

With 21 runs required off the final 12 deliveries in India's&nbsp;148-run chase, Hardik slammed three boundaries off four balls in the penultimate over from fast bowler Haris Rauf to bring the equation in India's favour before finishing things off in style in the final over.

Jadeja was dismissed on the very first delivery of the final over leaving India in a tricky spot despite just 7 runs needed as Dinesh Karthik arrived in the middle. However, Hardik looked unfazed by Jadeja's untimely dismissal and showed no signs of pressure even after playing a dot ball on the third delivery to leave six&nbsp;runs to get off the last three balls.

The star all-rounder smacked a huge six in a nonchalant manner&nbsp;on the 4th delivery to take India home without breaking a sweat. It was a stunning all-round performance from Hardik as he followed up his three-wicket haul with a match-winning 33 to be named the Man of the Match in the marquee clash.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/there-is-no-better-cricket-waqar-younis-calls-for-annual-or-biannual-bilaterals-between-india-and-pakistan-510922">'There is no better cricket'- Waqar Younis calls for annual or biannual bilaterals between India and Pakistan</a>

India recorded their biggest run-chase against Pakistan in a T20I game after nailing down the target of 148 runs in Dubai on Sunday as they got off to a winning start in Asia Cup 2022. Courtesy of Pandya's heroics,&nbsp;Men in Blue also managed to avenge their ten-wicket defeat against Babar Azam &amp; Co. in the T20 World Cup last year.

Hardik Pandya was the game-changer for India as he produced an exceptional all-round performance to propel Rohit Sharma & Co. to a thrilling 5-wicket win against arch-rivals Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2022 opener at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

Hardik Pandya was the game-changer for India as he produced an exceptional all-round performance to propel Rohit Sharma & Co. to a thrilling 5-wicket win against arch-rivals Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2022 opener at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Hardik picked up a three-wicket haul before playing a match-winning knock of unbeaten 33 to take India home in a pressure run-chase. After captain Rohit Sharma's decision to bowl first in the high-pressure clash, Indian bowlers made excellent use of the conditions and utilised the short ball well against the Pakistani batters to trouble them throughout their innings. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the bowlers for India with a four-wicket haul while Hardik scalped three as Pakistan were skittled out for a paltry 147 in 20 overs. It was expected to be a tough chase for the Men in Blue, considering the bounce on offer for the pacers and it did turn out to be a tricky one at the end. India once again got off to a shaky start as Naseem Shah sent opener KL Rahul packing on a duck in the very first over before Rohit and Virat Kohli added 50 runs for the 2nd wicket. The duo steadied the ship for the team but were dismissed in quick succession. While Rohit struggled for his 12 off 18 balls, Kohli played some fine strokes en route to 35 off 34 balls but once again failed to convert his start into a big score. After the duo's departure, Ravindra Jadeja, who surprisingly came out to bat at no.4, added 36 runs for the fourth wicket with Surykaumar Yadav. Suryakumar was cleaned up by Shah after a run-a-ball 18 paving the way for Hardik's arrival as the all-rounder joined forces with Jadeja in the middle and took India closer to the finishing line. Also Read: Virat Kohli becomes first Indian cricketer to play 100 matches in all three formats With 21 runs required off the final 12 deliveries in India's 148-run chase, Hardik slammed three boundaries off four balls in the penultimate over from fast bowler Haris Rauf to bring the equation in India's favour before finishing things off in style in the final over. Jadeja was dismissed on the very first delivery of the final over leaving India in a tricky spot despite just 7 runs needed as Dinesh Karthik arrived in the middle. However, Hardik looked unfazed by Jadeja's untimely dismissal and showed no signs of pressure even after playing a dot ball on the third delivery to leave six runs to get off the last three balls. The star all-rounder smacked a huge six in a nonchalant manner on the 4th delivery to take India home without breaking a sweat. It was a stunning all-round performance from Hardik as he followed up his three-wicket haul with a match-winning 33 to be named the Man of the Match in the marquee clash. Also Read: 'There is no better cricket'- Waqar Younis calls for annual or biannual bilaterals between India and Pakistan India recorded their biggest run-chase against Pakistan in a T20I game after nailing down the target of 148 runs in Dubai on Sunday as they got off to a winning start in Asia Cup 2022. Courtesy of Pandya's heroics, Men in Blue also managed to avenge their ten-wicket defeat against Babar Azam & Co. in the T20 World Cup last year.

Asia Cup 2022: Hardik Pandya stars as India beat Pakistan by 5 wickets in last-over thriller

Shahid Afridi's equation with Gautam Gambhir is well known to all in the cricketing fraternity. Gambhir-Afridi were involved in some heated exchanges during their playing days and the duo continue to take a dig at each other to date. Ahead of the Asia Cup 2022 clash between India and Pakistan, in Dubai on Sunday (August 28), Afridi made heads turn by claiming that 'no one in Team India likes Gautam Gambhir'.&nbsp;

Afridi's remark came during a talk show&nbsp;where news channels of both nations had collaborated. During the interaction, the ex-captain of the Men in Green recalled his on-field rivalry with Gambhir. Meanwhile, India's former&nbsp;spinner Harbhajan Singh was also part of the talk show. Afridi spoke to Aaj Tak being a part of the expert panel on the Pakistan's news channel - Samaa TV. During the discussion, Afridi said, "It's not like I have had a fight with any of the Indian players. Yes, sometimes there are some arguments with Gautam Gambhir on social media. And I think that Gautam is a sort of character which no one likes even in the Indian team."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-pak-you-are-ok-to-talk-to-me-manjrekar-leaves-jadeja-in-splits-all-rounder-replies-watch-511061">IND vs PAK: 'You are ok to talk to me?': Manjrekar leaves Jadeja in splits, all-rounder replies - WATCH</a>

While Afridi's comment on Gambhir went viral in no time, it was Harbhajan's casual reaction which sparked huge outrage on social media platforms. Twitter users weren't impressed with Bhajji's response to Afridi's remark, where he slammed his former teammate.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is wrong statement by Afridi 😡<a href="https://twitter.com/GautamGambhir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GautamGambhir</a> always will be hero whole india .....Afridi says India team hi pasand nhi karti what nonsense🤬 don't speak anything about gauti sir🌍 
We loved ❤️ Gautam gambhir <a href="https://t.co/iugWFXPZ91">pic.twitter.com/iugWFXPZ91</a>
— AJ (@biharshain) <a href="https://twitter.com/biharshain/status/1563778871102967809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Following Afridi's jibe at Gambhir, the hosts as well as Harbhajan had a good laugh. Seeing Bhajji's response, it irked many Twitter users. Here are some of the responses:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is wrong statement by Afridi 😡<a href="https://twitter.com/GautamGambhir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GautamGambhir</a> always will be hero whole india .....Afridi says India team hi pasand nhi karti what nonsense🤬 don't speak anything about gauti sir🌍 
We loved ❤️ Gautam gambhir <a href="https://t.co/iugWFXPZ91">pic.twitter.com/iugWFXPZ91</a>
— AJ (@biharshain) <a href="https://twitter.com/biharshain/status/1563778871102967809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
How can <a href="https://twitter.com/harbhajan_singh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@harbhajan_singh</a> laugh on it .Man you have played so much with that guy atleast you should not have laughed on it.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvPAK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/disappointing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#disappointing</a> <a href="https://t.co/LUQa3eg7IO">https://t.co/LUQa3eg7IO</a>
— Aman Kumar Singh (@rajputaman22) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajputaman22/status/1563884124305104896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/harbhajan_singh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@harbhajan_singh</a> paaji that's a shameless laugh, isn't it? <a href="https://t.co/6zm8Cx3njN">https://t.co/6zm8Cx3njN</a>
— Mrutyu 🍂 (@Am_Rife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Am_Rife/status/1563885117260455936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Talking about the Indo-Pak battle in the 2022 Asia Cup, Rohit Sharma-led India opted to bowl first and rode on Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 4/26 and Hardik Pandya's 3-fer to dismiss the Men in Green for 147 in 19.5 overs. In reply, Men in Blue were 89-4 before Ravindra Jadeja's vital 35 and Hardik's match-winning 17-ball 33 not out propelled India to a thrilling five-wicket win over their Asian neighbours.&nbsp;

Shahid Afridi's equation with Gautam Gambhir is well known to all in the cricketing fraternity. Gambhir-Afridi were involved in some heated exchanges during their playing days and the duo continue to take a dig at each other to date.

Shahid Afridi's equation with Gautam Gambhir is well known to all in the cricketing fraternity. Gambhir-Afridi were involved in some heated exchanges during their playing days and the duo continue to take a dig at each other to date. Ahead of the Asia Cup 2022 clash between India and Pakistan, in Dubai on Sunday (August 28), Afridi made heads turn by claiming that 'no one in Team India likes Gautam Gambhir'. Afridi's remark came during a talk show where news channels of both nations had collaborated. During the interaction, the ex-captain of the Men in Green recalled his on-field rivalry with Gambhir. Meanwhile, India's former spinner Harbhajan Singh was also part of the talk show. Afridi spoke to Aaj Tak being a part of the expert panel on the Pakistan's news channel - Samaa TV. During the discussion, Afridi said, "It's not like I have had a fight with any of the Indian players. Yes, sometimes there are some arguments with Gautam Gambhir on social media. And I think that Gautam is a sort of character which no one likes even in the Indian team." ALSO READ | IND vs PAK: 'You are ok to talk to me?': Manjrekar leaves Jadeja in splits, all-rounder replies - WATCH While Afridi's comment on Gambhir went viral in no time, it was Harbhajan's casual reaction which sparked huge outrage on social media platforms. Twitter users weren't impressed with Bhajji's response to Afridi's remark, where he slammed his former teammate. This is wrong statement by Afridi 😡@GautamGambhir always will be hero whole india .....Afridi says India team hi pasand nhi karti what nonsense🤬 don't speak anything about gauti sir🌍 We loved ❤️ Gautam gambhir pic.twitter.com/iugWFXPZ91 — AJ (@biharshain) August 28, 2022 × Following Afridi's jibe at Gambhir, the hosts as well as Harbhajan had a good laugh. Seeing Bhajji's response, it irked many Twitter users. Here are some of the responses: This is wrong statement by Afridi 😡@GautamGambhir always will be hero whole india .....Afridi says India team hi pasand nhi karti what nonsense🤬 don't speak anything about gauti sir🌍 We loved ❤️ Gautam gambhir pic.twitter.com/iugWFXPZ91 — AJ (@biharshain) August 28, 2022 × How can @harbhajan_singh laugh on it .Man you have played so much with that guy atleast you should not have laughed on it.#INDvPAK #disappointing https://t.co/LUQa3eg7IO — Aman Kumar Singh (@rajputaman22) August 28, 2022 × @harbhajan_singh paaji that's a shameless laugh, isn't it? https://t.co/6zm8Cx3njN — Mrutyu 🍂 (@Am_Rife) August 28, 2022 × Talking about the Indo-Pak battle in the 2022 Asia Cup, Rohit Sharma-led India opted to bowl first and rode on Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 4/26 and Hardik Pandya's 3-fer to dismiss the Men in Green for 147 in 19.5 overs. In reply, Men in Blue were 89-4 before Ravindra Jadeja's vital 35 and Hardik's match-winning 17-ball 33 not out propelled India to a thrilling five-wicket win over their Asian neighbours.

Afridi claims 'no one in Team India likes Gautam Gambhir', Twitterati unimpressed with Harbhajan's reaction

Sanjay Manjrekar's infamous remark on with Ravindra Jadeja is well known. During the 2019 ODI World Cup, former cricketer-turned-commentator Manjrekar had made heads turn when he claimed all-rounder Jadeja is a 'bits and pieces' cricketer. Manjrekar's comments weren't well received by the star Indian all-rounder back then and he made it known&nbsp; courtesy of his animated celebration&nbsp;towards the commentary box after reaching a fine half-century in the mega event's semi-final clash between India and New Zealand at Old Trafford, Manchester.

Here's how Jadeja had reacted following Manjrekar's comments:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Still i have played twice the number of matches you have played and i m still playing. Learn to respect ppl who have achieved.i have heard enough of your verbal diarrhoea.<a href="https://twitter.com/sanjaymanjrekar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sanjaymanjrekar</a>
— Ravindrasinh jadeja (@imjadeja) <a href="https://twitter.com/imjadeja/status/1146409711220285440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Manjrekar was also quick to accept that Jadeja had 'ripped me apart on all fronts' following his scintillating 79-run knock in India's 18-run loss at the hands of New Zealand in the memorable CWC'19 semi-final.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
"By bits 'n' pieces of sheer brilliance, he's ripped me apart on all fronts."<a href="https://twitter.com/sanjaymanjrekar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sanjaymanjrekar</a> has something to say to <a href="https://twitter.com/imjadeja?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imjadeja</a> after the all-rounder's fantastic performance against New Zealand.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvNZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvNZ</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC19</a> <a href="https://t.co/i96h5bJWpE">pic.twitter.com/i96h5bJWpE</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1148987955748495362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The two crossed paths once again during the India-Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2022 edition, on Sunday (August 28) in Dubai. After Jadeja played a part in India's successful five-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan, chasing a tricky 148 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, Manjrekar interviewed the star all-rounder on air.&nbsp;

The ex-cricketer's first question to Jadeja left the latter in splits. Manjrekar asked him "You are ok to talk to me?". Here's how Jadeja reacted:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Success makes you the bigger person 😄<a href="https://twitter.com/imjadeja?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imjadeja</a> <a href="https://t.co/RhqqGFEL0b">pic.twitter.com/RhqqGFEL0b</a>
— Nachiket Kher (@NachiketKher) <a href="https://twitter.com/NachiketKher/status/1563955875412328453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/even-if-we-needed-15-id-have-fancied-myself-hardik-pandya-after-india-edge-past-pakistan-in-asia-cup-511042">'Even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself': Hardik Pandya after India edge past Pakistan in Asia Cup</a>

Jadeja made a handy 29-ball 35 and shared a match-winning 52-run fifth-wicket stand with Player-of-the-Match Hardik Pandya (17-ball 33 not out) as India completed a riveting run-chase versus Babar Azam-led Men in Green after dismissing them for a modest 147 in 19.5 overs, with&nbsp;Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. opting&nbsp;to bowl first. While conversing with Manjrekar, Jadeja added, "We wanted to play till the end, they have a very good bowling attack, their fast bowlers don’t give anything away. I could have finished the game - left-arm spinner against left-hander, but Hardik played superbly. He (Pandya) came out and said he was going to play his shots, and happy that he stayed till the end."

Sanjay Manjrekar's infamous remark on with Ravindra Jadeja is well known. During the 2019 ODI World Cup, former cricketer-turned-commentator Manjrekar had made heads turn when he claimed all-rounder Jadeja is a 'bits and pieces' cricketer.

Sanjay Manjrekar's infamous remark on with Ravindra Jadeja is well known. During the 2019 ODI World Cup, former cricketer-turned-commentator Manjrekar had made heads turn when he claimed all-rounder Jadeja is a 'bits and pieces' cricketer. Manjrekar's comments weren't well received by the star Indian all-rounder back then and he made it known courtesy of his animated celebration towards the commentary box after reaching a fine half-century in the mega event's semi-final clash between India and New Zealand at Old Trafford, Manchester. Here's how Jadeja had reacted following Manjrekar's comments: Still i have played twice the number of matches you have played and i m still playing. Learn to respect ppl who have achieved.i have heard enough of your verbal diarrhoea.@sanjaymanjrekar — Ravindrasinh jadeja (@imjadeja) July 3, 2019 × Manjrekar was also quick to accept that Jadeja had 'ripped me apart on all fronts' following his scintillating 79-run knock in India's 18-run loss at the hands of New Zealand in the memorable CWC'19 semi-final. "By bits 'n' pieces of sheer brilliance, he's ripped me apart on all fronts."@sanjaymanjrekar has something to say to @imjadeja after the all-rounder's fantastic performance against New Zealand.#INDvNZ | #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/i96h5bJWpE — ICC (@ICC) July 10, 2019 × The two crossed paths once again during the India-Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2022 edition, on Sunday (August 28) in Dubai. After Jadeja played a part in India's successful five-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan, chasing a tricky 148 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, Manjrekar interviewed the star all-rounder on air. The ex-cricketer's first question to Jadeja left the latter in splits. Manjrekar asked him "You are ok to talk to me?". Here's how Jadeja reacted: Success makes you the bigger person 😄@imjadeja pic.twitter.com/RhqqGFEL0b — Nachiket Kher (@NachiketKher) August 28, 2022 × ALSO READ | 'Even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself': Hardik Pandya after India edge past Pakistan in Asia Cup Jadeja made a handy 29-ball 35 and shared a match-winning 52-run fifth-wicket stand with Player-of-the-Match Hardik Pandya (17-ball 33 not out) as India completed a riveting run-chase versus Babar Azam-led Men in Green after dismissing them for a modest 147 in 19.5 overs, with Rohit Sharma & Co. opting to bowl first. While conversing with Manjrekar, Jadeja added, "We wanted to play till the end, they have a very good bowling attack, their fast bowlers don’t give anything away. I could have finished the game - left-arm spinner against left-hander, but Hardik played superbly. He (Pandya) came out and said he was going to play his shots, and happy that he stayed till the end."

IND vs PAK: 'You are ok to talk to me?': Manjrekar leaves Jadeja in splits, all-rounder replies - WATCH

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir said it was a massive surprise to see Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. drop wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant for Dinesh Karthik in the high-profile clash against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday. Karthik, who has been absolutely sensational as a finisher of late, made his comeback for India earlier this year.

Many had written off 37-year-old Karthik, who last featured for India at the 2019 World Cup before making his comeback earlier this year. The veteran keeper-batter has been enjoying a stellar run with the willow and has been brilliant in the lower-middle order. He had earned a spot in India's squad for the ongoing Asia Cup courtesy of his recent finishing heroics.

However, Pant has been India's first-choice wicket-keeper batter in all three formats for a while now and was expected to be picked ahead of Karthik. His absence from the playing XI also deprived India of a left-hander in their top five against Pakistan which saw them promote Ravindra Jadeja to number 4.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-gifts-signed-jersey-to-pakistan-pacer-wins-hearts-with-his-heartwarming-gesture-watch-511263">Virat Kohli gifts signed jersey to Pakistan pacer, wins hearts with his heartwarming gesture - WATCH</a>

Sharing his take on India's decision to pick Karthik ahead of Pant, a surprised Gambhir said the team should not experiment too much with a handful of T20 matches left ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia later this year. Gambhir believes having Karthik over Pant makes India's batting line-up one-dimensional due to the lack of a left-hander.

"I won't experiment from now on because how many games do we have… this Asia Cup? And then you've got what… five more games, six more games and then the World Cup. From now on, you want a settled Playing XI. Yes, you can have your backups as well but that is the way I would have wanted. It is a bit of a surprise because Rishabh Pant has been an X-factor," Gambhir said on Star Sports.

"You need a left-handed in the middle order. India have a lot of right-handers there, which is one-dimensional. And he has done reasonably well. He can be someone who can open the game for you and he can be a floater as well. A bit surprising but I hope it is not long-term. I will still back Rishabh Pant ahead of Dinesh Karthik. It's a massive surprise," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/it-was-a-nothing-shot-gautam-gambhir-slams-virat-kohli-for-his-dismissal-against-pakistan-in-asia-cup-2022-511243">'It was a nothing shot': Gautam Gambhir slams Virat Kohli for his dismissal against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022</a>

While many believed Pant had to miss out due to a niggle, Indian captain Rohit Sharma had confirmed at the toss the left-hander was fit but the team had to make the difficult choice of picking Karthik over him. India will next face Hong Kong on Wednesday (August 31).

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir said it was a massive surprise to see Rohit Sharma & Co. drop wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant for Dinesh Karthik in the high-profile clash against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday.

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir said it was a massive surprise to see Rohit Sharma & Co. drop wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant for Dinesh Karthik in the high-profile clash against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday. Karthik, who has been absolutely sensational as a finisher of late, made his comeback for India earlier this year. Many had written off 37-year-old Karthik, who last featured for India at the 2019 World Cup before making his comeback earlier this year. The veteran keeper-batter has been enjoying a stellar run with the willow and has been brilliant in the lower-middle order. He had earned a spot in India's squad for the ongoing Asia Cup courtesy of his recent finishing heroics. However, Pant has been India's first-choice wicket-keeper batter in all three formats for a while now and was expected to be picked ahead of Karthik. His absence from the playing XI also deprived India of a left-hander in their top five against Pakistan which saw them promote Ravindra Jadeja to number 4. Also Read: Virat Kohli gifts signed jersey to Pakistan pacer, wins hearts with his heartwarming gesture - WATCH Sharing his take on India's decision to pick Karthik ahead of Pant, a surprised Gambhir said the team should not experiment too much with a handful of T20 matches left ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia later this year. Gambhir believes having Karthik over Pant makes India's batting line-up one-dimensional due to the lack of a left-hander. "I won't experiment from now on because how many games do we have… this Asia Cup? And then you've got what… five more games, six more games and then the World Cup. From now on, you want a settled Playing XI. Yes, you can have your backups as well but that is the way I would have wanted. It is a bit of a surprise because Rishabh Pant has been an X-factor," Gambhir said on Star Sports. "You need a left-handed in the middle order. India have a lot of right-handers there, which is one-dimensional. And he has done reasonably well. He can be someone who can open the game for you and he can be a floater as well. A bit surprising but I hope it is not long-term. I will still back Rishabh Pant ahead of Dinesh Karthik. It's a massive surprise," he added. Also Read: 'It was a nothing shot': Gautam Gambhir slams Virat Kohli for his dismissal against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022 While many believed Pant had to miss out due to a niggle, Indian captain Rohit Sharma had confirmed at the toss the left-hander was fit but the team had to make the difficult choice of picking Karthik over him. India will next face Hong Kong on Wednesday (August 31).

'Hope it's not long-term': Gautam Gambhir on India's decision to drop Pant for Karthik against Pakistan

It was a proper India-Pakistan clash when both sides faced each other in the Asia Cup 2022 edition, on Sunday (August 28), at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. Facing each other for the first time since the 2021 T20 World Cup, held at the same ground, Rohit Sharma-led India were eyeing to settle scores versus Babar Azam's Pakistan following their ten-wicket loss versus the arch-rivals in last year's face-off at the mega event. The match went down to the wire before Hardik Pandya's all-round skills bailed India out and guided them to a five-wicket win.

After delivering with the ball, returning with 3 for 25 after Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 4-fer restricted Pakistan to 147 all-out in 19.5 overs following India's decision to bowl first, Hardik came out to bat in the run-chase with India reduced to 89-4 in 14.2 overs. He looked calm and composed as ever and stitched an important 52-run fifth-wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja (35 off 29 balls) before guiding the team to a thrilling five-wicket win with seven required off the last over. Hardik ended the proceedings with a fine six off Mohammad Nawaz, Pakistan's best bowler in the evening, to end with a fine 17-ball 33 not out.&nbsp;

After the match, Hardik gave a sneak peak of his mindset and said at the post-match presentation, "We only needed 7 off the last over, but even if we needed 15, I’d have fancied myself. I know the bowler is under more pressure than I am in the 20th over. I try to keep things simple. In a chase like this, you always plan over-by-over. I always knew that there was one young bowler and also one left-arm spinner."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asia-cup-2022-hardik-pandya-stars-as-india-beat-pakistan-by-5-wickets-in-last-over-thriller-510973">Asia Cup 2022: Hardik Pandya stars as India beat Pakistan by 5 wickets in last-over thriller</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
From <a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hardikpandya7</a>'s emotional Asia Cup journey to <a href="https://twitter.com/imjadeja?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imjadeja</a>'s solid batting display! 👍 👍 
 
The all-rounder duo chat up after <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> win their <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCup2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCup2022</a> opener against Pakistan - by <a href="https://twitter.com/ameyatilak?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ameyatilak</a> 
 
Full interview 🎥 🔽 <a href="https://t.co/efJHpc4dBo">https://t.co/efJHpc4dBo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvPAK</a> <a href="https://t.co/MJOij6bDRl">pic.twitter.com/MJOij6bDRl</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1564107956358000640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Hardik has been in the form of his life ever since returning to competitive cricket in IPL 2022. He has grown as a leader and shown his class as an able finisher as well. Moreover, he is bowling his full quota of overs in the shortest format more often than not and also providing regular breakthroughs. India will hope for Hardik to continue his dream run even in the forthcoming 2022 T20 World Cup, which will be held in Australia from October-November

It was a proper India-Pakistan clash when both sides faced each other in the Asia Cup 2022 edition, on Sunday (August 28), at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.

It was a proper India-Pakistan clash when both sides faced each other in the Asia Cup 2022 edition, on Sunday (August 28), at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. Facing each other for the first time since the 2021 T20 World Cup, held at the same ground, Rohit Sharma-led India were eyeing to settle scores versus Babar Azam's Pakistan following their ten-wicket loss versus the arch-rivals in last year's face-off at the mega event. The match went down to the wire before Hardik Pandya's all-round skills bailed India out and guided them to a five-wicket win. After delivering with the ball, returning with 3 for 25 after Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 4-fer restricted Pakistan to 147 all-out in 19.5 overs following India's decision to bowl first, Hardik came out to bat in the run-chase with India reduced to 89-4 in 14.2 overs. He looked calm and composed as ever and stitched an important 52-run fifth-wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja (35 off 29 balls) before guiding the team to a thrilling five-wicket win with seven required off the last over. Hardik ended the proceedings with a fine six off Mohammad Nawaz, Pakistan's best bowler in the evening, to end with a fine 17-ball 33 not out. After the match, Hardik gave a sneak peak of his mindset and said at the post-match presentation, "We only needed 7 off the last over, but even if we needed 15, I’d have fancied myself. I know the bowler is under more pressure than I am in the 20th over. I try to keep things simple. In a chase like this, you always plan over-by-over. I always knew that there was one young bowler and also one left-arm spinner." ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2022: Hardik Pandya stars as India beat Pakistan by 5 wickets in last-over thriller From @hardikpandya7's emotional Asia Cup journey to @imjadeja's solid batting display! 👍 👍 The all-rounder duo chat up after #TeamIndia win their #AsiaCup2022 opener against Pakistan - by @ameyatilak Full interview 🎥 🔽 https://t.co/efJHpc4dBo #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/MJOij6bDRl — BCCI (@BCCI) August 29, 2022 × Hardik has been in the form of his life ever since returning to competitive cricket in IPL 2022. He has grown as a leader and shown his class as an able finisher as well. Moreover, he is bowling his full quota of overs in the shortest format more often than not and also providing regular breakthroughs. India will hope for Hardik to continue his dream run even in the forthcoming 2022 T20 World Cup, which will be held in Australia from October-November

'Even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself': Hardik Pandya after India edge past Pakistan in Asia Cup

India and Pakistan locked horns with each other in the Asia Cup 2022 edition on Sunday (August 28), at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai -- the venue where both had last met during the 2021 T20 World Cup. Rohit Sharma-led India opted to bowl first and rode on Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 4/26 and Hardik Pandya's 3-fer to dismiss Babar Azam-led Pakistan for 147 in 19.5 overs. In a topsy-turvy chase, India emerged on top in a last-over thriller courtesy of Hardik's 17-ball 33* and Ravindra Jadeja's vital 35.

India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2022 live score and updates:

11:45 PM IST: Hardik Pandya has done it! The all-rounder smacks a nonchalant six off the 4th ball of the 20th over from Mohammad Nawaz to take India over the line in style. What a run chase and what a win for the Indian team. They looked in a tricky position at one stage but Hardik's brilliance manage to steer them through.&nbsp;India beat Pakistan by 5 wickets to get off to a winning start. India - 148/5 (19.4 overs)

11:37 PM IST: Hardik Pandya the game-changer for India here. He slams three boundaries off the last 4 balls of the 19th over from Haris Rauf to get 14 runs off the over and bring the equation down to 7 required off the last over. It is pretty much India's game to lose now. India - 141/4 (19 overs)

11:30 PM IST:&nbsp;Naseem Shah with the 18th over and starts with a wide. Jadeja smacks the next one for a four before the young pacer bowls back-to-back dot balls. Shah hits Jadeja on the pads but the ball was pitching outside leg. Shah is struggling due to the hot weather in Dubai as lies on the ground with two balls left in his spell. Jadeja smokes a six and misses the next as India take 11 off the over. India - 127/4 (18 overs).

11:20 PM IST:&nbsp;9 runs for India off the 17th over from Haris Rauf. Hardik and Jadeja need to take off from here as the duo are clearly struggling to middle the ball. 32 runs needed off the final three overs. This is going down the wire. India - 116/4 (17 overs)

11:10 PM IST:&nbsp;India are struggling a bit here as the equation gets tougher with every passing over. 10 runs off the 16th over for India but the pressure is on Hardik and Jadeja, who are out in the middle. 41 runs required off the last four overs now. India - 107/4 (16 overs)

10:59 PM IST: Naseem Shah comes in clutch for Pakistan as he dispatches Suryakumar Yadav, picking up his second wicket of the night. Impressing fans with his mental fortitude and athletic prowess, Shah paves the way for Hardik Pandya to make his way onto the pitch. India- 89/4 (14 overs)&nbsp;

10:52 PM IST:&nbsp;Pakistan call for a review after suspicions of Shahnawaz Dahani's&nbsp;ball making contact with Ravindra Jadeja's bat before making its way into Mohammad Rizwan's gloves. However, Jadeja escapes the&nbsp;review unscathed as&nbsp;officials declare there was no contact with the bat.&nbsp;India- 89/3 (13 overs)

10:39 PM IST:&nbsp;Shadab Khan with the 11th over for Pakistan. Suryakumar sweeps him for a boundary on the 4th ball to get 7 runs off the over. Both teams are still very much in this game with 79 runs required off 54 balls. India - 70/3 (11 overs)

10: 35&nbsp;PM IST: Wicket! India lose Rohit and Kohli in quick succession.&nbsp;Kohli was looking in great touch but ended up going for a half-hearted stroke&nbsp;against Nawaz on the first ball of the tenth over to get caught. He departs for 35 as Suryakumar Yadav joins Ravindra Jadeja in the middle. 9 runs off the 10th over for India.&nbsp;India - 62/3&nbsp;(10&nbsp;overs)

10:25 PM IST: Wicket! Rohit Sharma miscues his shot and is caught by&nbsp;Iftikhar Ahmed off the bowling of Mohammad Nawaz on the final ball of the eighth over. It's a huge blow for India as Rohit departs on 12 off 18 balls. 9 runs off the 8th over. India - 50/2 (8 overs)

10:15 PM IST: Pakistan pacers have displayed a great exhibition of pace with all three - Naseem, Dahani and Rauf bowling in excess of 140 kph. However, Kohli has looked in great touch so far and has been rotating the strike well. 6 runs off the 5th over and 9 off the 6th. India - 38/1 (6 overs)

10:05 PM IST: Pakistan pacers have been brilliant so far in utilising the conditions and bowling at a good pace. Haris Rauf with the fourth over. Just 2 runs off the first four balls before Kohli takes on the short ball and gets a six off a thick edge. 8 runs off the over. India - 23/1 (4 overs)

10:00 PM IST: Naseem Shah with the third over for Pakistan and he continues with his impressive pace. The youngster has been easily clocking 140kph and looks in a great rhythm. 5 runs off the 3rd over for India. India - 15/1 (3 overs)

9:55 PM IST: Virat Kohli gets into the groove with a boundary off the fifth ball of the second over from Shahnawaz Dahani. 7 runs off the over for India as the nerves settle down a bit after a shaky start. India - 10/1 (2 overs)

9:48 PM IST: Wicket! Naseem Shah sends KL Rahul packing on a duck. A&nbsp;142kph shortish delivery and Rahul edges it onto the stumps. A golden duck for the Indian opener as Pakistan get off to a dream start. Virat Kohli is the new man in. Brilliant start for Pakistan just 3 off the first over. India - 3/1 (1 over)

9:40 PM IST: We are all set for India's run-chase to get underway. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will open the batting for India and Naseem Shah takes the ball for Pakistan to kick off the proceedings.

9:30 PM IST: OUT!&nbsp;After some lusty blows from Dahani, Arshdeep gets it right with a full-length delivery to dismantle his stumps. Pakistan come close to the 150-run mark and have something to bowl at but will be a herculean task for them to stop India in a moderate run-chase. PAK 147 all-out in 19.5 overs&nbsp;

9:24 PM IST:&nbsp;Bhuvi ends with the best bowling figures by an Indian versus Pakistan. 4-0-26-4. SIMPLY SUPERB!!!

9:18 PM IST:&nbsp;Arshdeep, Bhuvi continue to strike for India in the end overs. Pakistan is desperate to take closer to the 150-run mark. It can be a tricky total -- despite India's superstar-batting line-up -- but even that looks like an improbable&nbsp;task for the Men in Green. PAK 128-8 in 18.2 overs

9:04 PM IST:&nbsp;Pakistan have lost the plot. Every time they looked to attack, they have lost wickets. Hardik's three consecutive strikes have dented Men in Green's progress. All hopes were on Shadab-Asif Ali but they have now lost the latter as well, to Bhuvi. Babar &amp; Co.&nbsp;are certainly finding it tough to strike big with the Indian bowlers changing their pace and using the bouncers at will. PAK 112-6 (16.3 overs).

8:51 PM IST:&nbsp;OUT! Another quick delivery, hitting the seam right and followed the batsman. Good catch from Avesh at the third-man region as Pakistan lose Rizwan. Hardik strikes once again. India needed this right before the final five overs. PAK 96/4 (14.1 overs)

8:48 PM IST:&nbsp;We are heading into the final five overs. All eyes are on Rizwan. He is nearing a half-century. Although Pakistan will hope for him to better his strike rate&nbsp;considerably going ahead. Bhuvi and Arshdeep's remaining overs will be crucial. Fasten your seatbelts, we are in for a rapid end to the first half. PAK 96/3 (14)

8:42 PM IST:&nbsp;OUT! Pandya comes back into the attack and uses the short ball to get rid of the dangerman Iftikhkar. He was looking good in the partnership and was set to explode in the final overs. India continue to remain ahead. Will they close the first half in style? PAK 87-3 (12.1 overs)

8:38 PM IST:&nbsp;A huge six -- from Iftikhar -- followed by a dropped catch of his own bowling from Chahal. A dozen overs complete as Rizwan-Iftikhar get a move on. PAK 87-2 (12)

8:28 PM IST:&nbsp;India end the first ten overs by easily having the edge. Pakistan have struggled to break the shackles after losing captain Babar. Iftikhar has come out with a positive intent. Will be interesting to see who will be targetted by the Pakistani pair in the last ten overs. Anything below 150 won't be a challenging score for his batting-heavy Team India line-up. PAK 68-2 (10)

8:22 PM IST:&nbsp;The pitch is dry. Spinners have come into play from both ends -- with Chahal and Jadeja -- as Pakistan are struggling to get going. The surfaces in UAE are tricky and can test any batting side. Nonetheless, taking nothing away from Indian bowlers' discipline so far. PAK 63-2 (9)

8:16 PM IST:&nbsp;Rizwan in focus as Pakistan lose two quick wickets. Iftikar comes in as India introduces spin into the attack with Yuzi Chahal bowling the 8th over. PAK 51/2 (7)

8:06 PM IST:&nbsp;Avesh bowls the sixth over, the last of the powerplay. Rizwan took him on and got rewarded. Men in Green were on the move before the pacer removed&nbsp;Fakhar Zaman. The left-hander went for a cut and seemed to have edged it. He walked away as soon as the ball passed him.&nbsp;PAK 42-2&nbsp;(5.5)

8:02 PM IST:&nbsp;Another brilliant over for India. Hardik troubles Rizwan with his movement and the right-hander isn't looking in his elements so far. Hardik concedes only seven runs in his first as PAK 30/1 (5)

8 PM IST: Bhuvi follows Nehraji!!!

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
DYK? 
The last Indian bowler, before Bhuvneshwar Kumar, to claim a Pakistani wicket in T20Is was Ashish Nehra (of Shoaib Malik) in the WT20 match at Kolkata on 19 March 2016!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCup2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCup2022</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvPAK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PakvsInd?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PakvsInd</a>
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) <a href="https://twitter.com/mohanstatsman/status/1563896557816401920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

7:54 PM IST: Plenty of dot balls from Bhuvi-Arshdeep as pressure piling up on Pakistan. Will be interesting to see how Rizwan goes about his business after losing Babar early. He added another boundary to his team's tally in the fourth over. Men in Green will need a special from him. PAK 23/1 (4)

7:48 PM IST:&nbsp;OUT! Bhuvi resorts to the bouncer and probably surprised Babar as the captain went for the pull, gets a top-edge to be caught by Arshdeep. Big wicket for Team India. PAK 15/1 in 2.4 overs

7:44 PM IST:&nbsp;A decent over from Arshdeep before another beautiful drive from Babar in the last ball of the second over. He is pleasing to the eye. Pakistan skipper looking good already. PAK 14/0 (2 overs)

7:32 PM IST:&nbsp;Bhuvneshwar Kumar is always dangerous with the new ball. There was some movement on the first ball and he&nbsp;trapped&nbsp;Md Rizwan lbw&nbsp;on the very next delivery. The decision, however,&nbsp;went upstairs after the umpire signalled out. Rizwan carries on as the ball misses the off-side on height. It was followed by a beautiful drive from Babar and a DRS from India, leading to Rizwan surviving once again. Entertaining first over. PAK 6/0 (1)

7:25 PM IST:&nbsp;In Shaheen Afridi's absence, Pakistan have opted for a solid pace attack consisting of Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Shahnawaz Dahani. They also have three spin options but the middle-order looks thin.

7:15 PM IST: Some interesting selection calls from India. Rohit &amp; Co. have dropped Rishabh Pant for in-form Dinesh Karthik depriving them of a left-hand option in the top five. India have also gone with three specialist pacers with Chahal and Jadeja as the two spinners.

7:05 PM IST: Here are the playing XIs of the two teams

Pakistan: Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani

India: Rohit Sharma(c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Dinesh Karthik(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh

7:00 PM IST: Toss! India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl first.

6:55 PM IST: Rahul Dravid is back with the Indian squad after testing negative for COVID-19 and was spotted giving a pep talk to the players ahead of the big game.

6:50 PM IST: We are just a few minutes away from toss as players from both sides continue their warm-up ahead of the high-profile clash. The Dubai International Stadium is packed with fans from both countries as they wait to watch their heroes in action.

India and Pakistan locked horns with each other in the Asia Cup 2022 edition on Sunday (August 28), at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai -- the venue where both had last met during the 2021 T20 World Cup.

India and Pakistan locked horns with each other in the Asia Cup 2022 edition on Sunday (August 28), at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai -- the venue where both had last met during the 2021 T20 World Cup. Rohit Sharma-led India opted to bowl first and rode on Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 4/26 and Hardik Pandya's 3-fer to dismiss Babar Azam-led Pakistan for 147 in 19.5 overs. In a topsy-turvy chase, India emerged on top in a last-over thriller courtesy of Hardik's 17-ball 33* and Ravindra Jadeja's vital 35. India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2022 live score and updates: 11:45 PM IST: Hardik Pandya has done it! The all-rounder smacks a nonchalant six off the 4th ball of the 20th over from Mohammad Nawaz to take India over the line in style. What a run chase and what a win for the Indian team. They looked in a tricky position at one stage but Hardik's brilliance manage to steer them through. India beat Pakistan by 5 wickets to get off to a winning start. India - 148/5 (19.4 overs) 11:37 PM IST: Hardik Pandya the game-changer for India here. He slams three boundaries off the last 4 balls of the 19th over from Haris Rauf to get 14 runs off the over and bring the equation down to 7 required off the last over. It is pretty much India's game to lose now. India - 141/4 (19 overs) 11:30 PM IST: Naseem Shah with the 18th over and starts with a wide. Jadeja smacks the next one for a four before the young pacer bowls back-to-back dot balls. Shah hits Jadeja on the pads but the ball was pitching outside leg. Shah is struggling due to the hot weather in Dubai as lies on the ground with two balls left in his spell. Jadeja smokes a six and misses the next as India take 11 off the over. India - 127/4 (18 overs). 11:20 PM IST: 9 runs for India off the 17th over from Haris Rauf. Hardik and Jadeja need to take off from here as the duo are clearly struggling to middle the ball. 32 runs needed off the final three overs. This is going down the wire. India - 116/4 (17 overs) 11:10 PM IST: India are struggling a bit here as the equation gets tougher with every passing over. 10 runs off the 16th over for India but the pressure is on Hardik and Jadeja, who are out in the middle. 41 runs required off the last four overs now. India - 107/4 (16 overs) 10:59 PM IST: Naseem Shah comes in clutch for Pakistan as he dispatches Suryakumar Yadav, picking up his second wicket of the night. Impressing fans with his mental fortitude and athletic prowess, Shah paves the way for Hardik Pandya to make his way onto the pitch. India- 89/4 (14 overs) 10:52 PM IST: Pakistan call for a review after suspicions of Shahnawaz Dahani's ball making contact with Ravindra Jadeja's bat before making its way into Mohammad Rizwan's gloves. However, Jadeja escapes the review unscathed as officials declare there was no contact with the bat. India- 89/3 (13 overs) 10:39 PM IST: Shadab Khan with the 11th over for Pakistan. Suryakumar sweeps him for a boundary on the 4th ball to get 7 runs off the over. Both teams are still very much in this game with 79 runs required off 54 balls. India - 70/3 (11 overs) 10: 35 PM IST: Wicket! India lose Rohit and Kohli in quick succession. Kohli was looking in great touch but ended up going for a half-hearted stroke against Nawaz on the first ball of the tenth over to get caught. He departs for 35 as Suryakumar Yadav joins Ravindra Jadeja in the middle. 9 runs off the 10th over for India. India - 62/3 (10 overs) 10:25 PM IST: Wicket! Rohit Sharma miscues his shot and is caught by Iftikhar Ahmed off the bowling of Mohammad Nawaz on the final ball of the eighth over. It's a huge blow for India as Rohit departs on 12 off 18 balls. 9 runs off the 8th over. India - 50/2 (8 overs) 10:15 PM IST: Pakistan pacers have displayed a great exhibition of pace with all three - Naseem, Dahani and Rauf bowling in excess of 140 kph. However, Kohli has looked in great touch so far and has been rotating the strike well. 6 runs off the 5th over and 9 off the 6th. India - 38/1 (6 overs) 10:05 PM IST: Pakistan pacers have been brilliant so far in utilising the conditions and bowling at a good pace. Haris Rauf with the fourth over. Just 2 runs off the first four balls before Kohli takes on the short ball and gets a six off a thick edge. 8 runs off the over. India - 23/1 (4 overs) 10:00 PM IST: Naseem Shah with the third over for Pakistan and he continues with his impressive pace. The youngster has been easily clocking 140kph and looks in a great rhythm. 5 runs off the 3rd over for India. India - 15/1 (3 overs) 9:55 PM IST: Virat Kohli gets into the groove with a boundary off the fifth ball of the second over from Shahnawaz Dahani. 7 runs off the over for India as the nerves settle down a bit after a shaky start. India - 10/1 (2 overs) 9:48 PM IST: Wicket! Naseem Shah sends KL Rahul packing on a duck. A 142kph shortish delivery and Rahul edges it onto the stumps. A golden duck for the Indian opener as Pakistan get off to a dream start. Virat Kohli is the new man in. Brilliant start for Pakistan just 3 off the first over. India - 3/1 (1 over) 9:40 PM IST: We are all set for India's run-chase to get underway. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will open the batting for India and Naseem Shah takes the ball for Pakistan to kick off the proceedings. 9:30 PM IST: OUT! After some lusty blows from Dahani, Arshdeep gets it right with a full-length delivery to dismantle his stumps. Pakistan come close to the 150-run mark and have something to bowl at but will be a herculean task for them to stop India in a moderate run-chase. PAK 147 all-out in 19.5 overs 9:24 PM IST: Bhuvi ends with the best bowling figures by an Indian versus Pakistan. 4-0-26-4. SIMPLY SUPERB!!! 9:18 PM IST: Arshdeep, Bhuvi continue to strike for India in the end overs. Pakistan is desperate to take closer to the 150-run mark. It can be a tricky total -- despite India's superstar-batting line-up -- but even that looks like an improbable task for the Men in Green. PAK 128-8 in 18.2 overs 9:04 PM IST: Pakistan have lost the plot. Every time they looked to attack, they have lost wickets. Hardik's three consecutive strikes have dented Men in Green's progress. All hopes were on Shadab-Asif Ali but they have now lost the latter as well, to Bhuvi. Babar & Co. are certainly finding it tough to strike big with the Indian bowlers changing their pace and using the bouncers at will. PAK 112-6 (16.3 overs). 8:51 PM IST: OUT! Another quick delivery, hitting the seam right and followed the batsman. Good catch from Avesh at the third-man region as Pakistan lose Rizwan. Hardik strikes once again. India needed this right before the final five overs. PAK 96/4 (14.1 overs) 8:48 PM IST: We are heading into the final five overs. All eyes are on Rizwan. He is nearing a half-century. Although Pakistan will hope for him to better his strike rate considerably going ahead. Bhuvi and Arshdeep's remaining overs will be crucial. Fasten your seatbelts, we are in for a rapid end to the first half. PAK 96/3 (14) 8:42 PM IST: OUT! Pandya comes back into the attack and uses the short ball to get rid of the dangerman Iftikhkar. He was looking good in the partnership and was set to explode in the final overs. India continue to remain ahead. Will they close the first half in style? PAK 87-3 (12.1 overs) 8:38 PM IST: A huge six -- from Iftikhar -- followed by a dropped catch of his own bowling from Chahal. A dozen overs complete as Rizwan-Iftikhar get a move on. PAK 87-2 (12) 8:28 PM IST: India end the first ten overs by easily having the edge. Pakistan have struggled to break the shackles after losing captain Babar. Iftikhar has come out with a positive intent. Will be interesting to see who will be targetted by the Pakistani pair in the last ten overs. Anything below 150 won't be a challenging score for his batting-heavy Team India line-up. PAK 68-2 (10) 8:22 PM IST: The pitch is dry. Spinners have come into play from both ends -- with Chahal and Jadeja -- as Pakistan are struggling to get going. The surfaces in UAE are tricky and can test any batting side. Nonetheless, taking nothing away from Indian bowlers' discipline so far. PAK 63-2 (9) 8:16 PM IST: Rizwan in focus as Pakistan lose two quick wickets. Iftikar comes in as India introduces spin into the attack with Yuzi Chahal bowling the 8th over. PAK 51/2 (7) 8:06 PM IST: Avesh bowls the sixth over, the last of the powerplay. Rizwan took him on and got rewarded. Men in Green were on the move before the pacer removed Fakhar Zaman. The left-hander went for a cut and seemed to have edged it. He walked away as soon as the ball passed him. PAK 42-2 (5.5) 8:02 PM IST: Another brilliant over for India. Hardik troubles Rizwan with his movement and the right-hander isn't looking in his elements so far. Hardik concedes only seven runs in his first as PAK 30/1 (5) 8 PM IST: Bhuvi follows Nehraji!!! DYK? The last Indian bowler, before Bhuvneshwar Kumar, to claim a Pakistani wicket in T20Is was Ashish Nehra (of Shoaib Malik) in the WT20 match at Kolkata on 19 March 2016!#AsiaCup2022 #INDvPAK #PakvsInd — Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) August 28, 2022 × 7:54 PM IST: Plenty of dot balls from Bhuvi-Arshdeep as pressure piling up on Pakistan. Will be interesting to see how Rizwan goes about his business after losing Babar early. He added another boundary to his team's tally in the fourth over. Men in Green will need a special from him. PAK 23/1 (4) 7:48 PM IST: OUT! Bhuvi resorts to the bouncer and probably surprised Babar as the captain went for the pull, gets a top-edge to be caught by Arshdeep. Big wicket for Team India. PAK 15/1 in 2.4 overs 7:44 PM IST: A decent over from Arshdeep before another beautiful drive from Babar in the last ball of the second over. He is pleasing to the eye. Pakistan skipper looking good already. PAK 14/0 (2 overs) 7:32 PM IST: Bhuvneshwar Kumar is always dangerous with the new ball. There was some movement on the first ball and he trapped Md Rizwan lbw on the very next delivery. The decision, however, went upstairs after the umpire signalled out. Rizwan carries on as the ball misses the off-side on height. It was followed by a beautiful drive from Babar and a DRS from India, leading to Rizwan surviving once again. Entertaining first over. PAK 6/0 (1) 7:25 PM IST: In Shaheen Afridi's absence, Pakistan have opted for a solid pace attack consisting of Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Shahnawaz Dahani. They also have three spin options but the middle-order looks thin. 7:15 PM IST: Some interesting selection calls from India. Rohit & Co. have dropped Rishabh Pant for in-form Dinesh Karthik depriving them of a left-hand option in the top five. India have also gone with three specialist pacers with Chahal and Jadeja as the two spinners. 7:05 PM IST: Here are the playing XIs of the two teams Pakistan: Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani India: Rohit Sharma(c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Dinesh Karthik(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh 7:00 PM IST: Toss! India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl first. 6:55 PM IST: Rahul Dravid is back with the Indian squad after testing negative for COVID-19 and was spotted giving a pep talk to the players ahead of the big game. 6:50 PM IST: We are just a few minutes away from toss as players from both sides continue their warm-up ahead of the high-profile clash. The Dubai International Stadium is packed with fans from both countries as they wait to watch their heroes in action.

India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2022 HIGHLIGHTS: Hardik, Jadeja propel India to thrilling 5-wicket win

Hardik Pandya emerged as the hero for India as Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. defeated Pakistan by five wickets to get their Asia Cup 2022 campaign underway with a win. Pandya produced a brilliant all-round performance to help India restrict Pakistan on a total of 147 runs before chasing down the target with two balls to spare.

The all-rounder picked up a three-wicket haul with the ball as he made great use of the bounce on offer to trouble the Pakistan batters and skittle them out on a moderate total. He then went on to score an unbeaten 33 off just 17 balls with the bat to take India home in a last-over humdinger.

Hardik was calm and composed in the middle with India requiring 21 runs to get off the final two overs. He slammed three boundaries against Haris Rauf in the 19th over to bring the equation down to 7 required off the last over. India lose Ravindra Jadeja's wicket on the first ball of the 20th over but Hardik finished off the run-chase in style with a six against Mohammad Nawaz.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/it-was-a-nothing-shot-gautam-gambhir-slams-virat-kohli-for-his-dismissal-against-pakistan-in-asia-cup-2022-511243">'It was a nothing shot': Gautam Gambhir slams Virat Kohli for his dismissal against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022</a>

After his finishing heroics against Pakistan, the Indian all-rounder credited former India captain MS Dhoni and said he has learnt a lot from him. Dhoni, who handed Pandya his India debut, is regarded as one of the greatest finishers the game has ever seen.

"I try to keep things simple as much as I can. Obviously, I have learnt this from Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) while playing with him. I learn from all the cricketers I play with. I believe that if you want to take any decision in life if you are calm it will help you take better decision. I apply the same during batting and keep my options ready," Pandya told broadcaster Star Sports after India's victory.

"In a chase like this, you always plan over-by-over. I always knew that there is one young bowler and also one left-arm spinner. We only needed 7 off the last over but even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself. I know the bowler is under more pressure than me in the 20th over. I try to keep things simple," he added.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asia-cup-hardiks-savage-response-to-dinesh-karthik-in-last-over-of-ind-vs-pak-thriller-goes-viral-watch-511092">Hardik's savage response to Dinesh Karthik in last-over of IND vs PAK thriller goes viral - watch</a>

Pandya walked out to bat at number six for India with the scoreboard reading 89/4 at his arrival. He joined forces with Jadeja in the middle and the duo posted a 49-run stand for the fifth wicket to take India closer to victory. India were in a spot of bother in the final over after Jadeja's dismissal, but Hardik showed no signs of pressure as he sealed the game with a six.

Hardik Pandya emerged as the hero for India as Rohit Sharma & Co. defeated Pakistan by five wickets to get their Asia Cup 2022 campaign underway with a win. Pandya produced a brilliant all-round performance to help India restrict Pakistan on a total of 147 runs before chasing down the target with two balls to spare.

Hardik Pandya emerged as the hero for India as Rohit Sharma & Co. defeated Pakistan by five wickets to get their Asia Cup 2022 campaign underway with a win. Pandya produced a brilliant all-round performance to help India restrict Pakistan on a total of 147 runs before chasing down the target with two balls to spare. The all-rounder picked up a three-wicket haul with the ball as he made great use of the bounce on offer to trouble the Pakistan batters and skittle them out on a moderate total. He then went on to score an unbeaten 33 off just 17 balls with the bat to take India home in a last-over humdinger. Hardik was calm and composed in the middle with India requiring 21 runs to get off the final two overs. He slammed three boundaries against Haris Rauf in the 19th over to bring the equation down to 7 required off the last over. India lose Ravindra Jadeja's wicket on the first ball of the 20th over but Hardik finished off the run-chase in style with a six against Mohammad Nawaz. Also Read: 'It was a nothing shot': Gautam Gambhir slams Virat Kohli for his dismissal against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022 After his finishing heroics against Pakistan, the Indian all-rounder credited former India captain MS Dhoni and said he has learnt a lot from him. Dhoni, who handed Pandya his India debut, is regarded as one of the greatest finishers the game has ever seen. "I try to keep things simple as much as I can. Obviously, I have learnt this from Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) while playing with him. I learn from all the cricketers I play with. I believe that if you want to take any decision in life if you are calm it will help you take better decision. I apply the same during batting and keep my options ready," Pandya told broadcaster Star Sports after India's victory. "In a chase like this, you always plan over-by-over. I always knew that there is one young bowler and also one left-arm spinner. We only needed 7 off the last over but even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself. I know the bowler is under more pressure than me in the 20th over. I try to keep things simple," he added. Also Read: Hardik's savage response to Dinesh Karthik in last-over of IND vs PAK thriller goes viral - watch Pandya walked out to bat at number six for India with the scoreboard reading 89/4 at his arrival. He joined forces with Jadeja in the middle and the duo posted a 49-run stand for the fifth wicket to take India closer to victory. India were in a spot of bother in the final over after Jadeja's dismissal, but Hardik showed no signs of pressure as he sealed the game with a six.

I have learnt from MS Dhoni: Hardik Pandya credits former India skipper after his stunning finish vs Pakistan

Team India superstar Virat Kohli won the hearts of many with his brilliant gesture for Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf after the blockbuster clash between the two sides in Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28). Kohli gifted a signed jersey to Rauf following India's five-wicket victory against Babar Azam &amp; Co. at the Dubai International Stadium.

It was an intense clash between the two arch-rivals as the game went down the wire with India pulling off a thrilling win courtesy of Hardik Pandya's brilliant knock. After bundling out Pakistan for 147 runs, India were in a tricky spot in their run-chase as they found themselves reeling on 89/4 in the 15th over.

However, Pandya joined forces with Ravindra Jadeja in the middle and took India home comfortably. The duo added 49 runs for the fifth wicket before Jadeja was dismissed on the first ball of the 20th over. Pandya then finished off the proceedings in style with a six to hand India their first win of the tournament.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/it-was-a-nothing-shot-gautam-gambhir-slams-virat-kohli-for-his-dismissal-against-pakistan-in-asia-cup-2022-511243">'It was a nothing shot': Gambhir slams Kohli for his dismissal against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022</a>

Kohli, who was making his 100th appearance for India in T20Is, also looked in fine form as he scored 35 off 34 balls in the game. Post the match, the former India captain was spotted signing an India jersey for Pakistan pacer Rauf. His gesture was lauded by many on social media.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The match may be over but moments like these shine bright 
 
A heartwarming gesture by <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> as he hands over a signed jersey to Pakistan's Haris Rauf post the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvPAK</a> game <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCup2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCup2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/3qqejMKHjG">pic.twitter.com/3qqejMKHjG</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1564229818811817985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/welcome-to-the-club-ross-taylor-wishes-virat-kohli-on-completing-100th-t20i-former-india-captain-responds-511228">Welcome to the club: Ross Taylor wishes Virat Kohli on completing 100th T20I, former India captain responds</a>

Earlier, in the build-up to the much-anticipated clash, Indian players were seen exchanging pleasantries with the Pakistan players. The likes of Kohli, KL Rahul and Yuzvendra Chahal also met injured Shaheen Shah Afridi and wished him well for his recovery.&nbsp;

Kohli and Indian skipper&nbsp;Rohit Sharma&nbsp;both also caught up with Pakistan captain Babar Azam ahead of the game. Babar had admitted he was 'touched' by Indian players' gesture for Afridi.

Team India superstar Virat Kohli won the hearts of many with his brilliant gesture for Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf after the blockbuster clash between the two sides in Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28).

Team India superstar Virat Kohli won the hearts of many with his brilliant gesture for Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf after the blockbuster clash between the two sides in Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28). Kohli gifted a signed jersey to Rauf following India's five-wicket victory against Babar Azam & Co. at the Dubai International Stadium. It was an intense clash between the two arch-rivals as the game went down the wire with India pulling off a thrilling win courtesy of Hardik Pandya's brilliant knock. After bundling out Pakistan for 147 runs, India were in a tricky spot in their run-chase as they found themselves reeling on 89/4 in the 15th over. However, Pandya joined forces with Ravindra Jadeja in the middle and took India home comfortably. The duo added 49 runs for the fifth wicket before Jadeja was dismissed on the first ball of the 20th over. Pandya then finished off the proceedings in style with a six to hand India their first win of the tournament. Also Read: 'It was a nothing shot': Gambhir slams Kohli for his dismissal against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022 Kohli, who was making his 100th appearance for India in T20Is, also looked in fine form as he scored 35 off 34 balls in the game. Post the match, the former India captain was spotted signing an India jersey for Pakistan pacer Rauf. His gesture was lauded by many on social media. The match may be over but moments like these shine bright A heartwarming gesture by @imVkohli as he hands over a signed jersey to Pakistan's Haris Rauf post the #INDvPAK game #TeamIndia | #AsiaCup2022 pic.twitter.com/3qqejMKHjG — BCCI (@BCCI) August 29, 2022 × Also Read: Welcome to the club: Ross Taylor wishes Virat Kohli on completing 100th T20I, former India captain responds Earlier, in the build-up to the much-anticipated clash, Indian players were seen exchanging pleasantries with the Pakistan players. The likes of Kohli, KL Rahul and Yuzvendra Chahal also met injured Shaheen Shah Afridi and wished him well for his recovery. Kohli and Indian skipper Rohit Sharma both also caught up with Pakistan captain Babar Azam ahead of the game. Babar had admitted he was 'touched' by Indian players' gesture for Afridi.

Virat Kohli gifts signed jersey to Pakistan pacer, wins hearts with his heartwarming gesture - WATCH

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has slammed senior batter Virat Kohli for his disappointing dismissal against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28). All eyes were on Kohli as he made his comeback for the Indian team after taking a short break following the conclusion of the team's tour of England last month.

Kohli, who made his 100th appearance for India in the game, contributed with a crucial knock of 35 runs as he helped India chase down the target of 148 runs with two balls to spare and seal a five-wicket win. While he looked in decent touch, Kohli once again failed to convert his start into a big score.

The under-fire batter, who had recently endured criticism from all corners over his poor form, looked in fine rhythm and played some brilliant strokes en route to his 35 off 34 balls. However, he would have been disappointed by the way he got dismissed after playing a poor&nbsp;shot.

Gambhir slammed Kohli for throwing his wicket away in quick succession after Indian skipper Rohit Sharma's departure. India got off to a shaky start in the 148-run chase as they lost opener KL Rahul on a duck in the very first over before Kohli and Rohit survived brilliant spells from Naseem Shah and Sahnawaz Dahani.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/welcome-to-the-club-ross-taylor-wishes-virat-kohli-on-completing-100th-t20i-former-india-captain-responds-511228">Welcome to the club: Ross Taylor wishes Virat Kohli on completing 100th T20I, former India captain responds</a>

Kohli and Rohit added 49 runs for the second wicket after Rahul's early departure before the duo got out in a similar fashion, getting caught by Iftikhar Ahmed off the bowling of Mohammad Nawaz. Gambhir said Kohli would have been disappointed by the way he got out and should have played more sensibly after witnessing Rohit depart on the other end.

"He (Kohli) will be extremely disappointed because Rohit Sharma's wicket had just fallen and after that if you play a shot like that, it is good a youngster did not play that shot. There would have been a lot of criticism if a youngster had played that kind of shot," Gambhir said on&nbsp;Star Sports.

"I am sure the number of runs he has scored in international cricket. When he sees this shot he will tell himself that the shot was not required. You played 34 balls and scored 35 runs, your captain had just gotten out, if you had built your innings a little more, things might have become easier," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/you-cant-have-a-spinner-bowling-pakistan-legend-wasim-akram-points-out-babar-azams-mistake-vs-india-511201">'You can't have a spinner bowling..': Pakistan legend Wasim Akram points out Babar Azam's mistake vs India</a>

It was a half-hearted attempt from Kohli, who tried to go for a lofted shot on a tossed-up delivery from Nawaz but his execution was far from perfect. The ball went straight into the hands of&nbsp;Iftikhar, marking the end of Kohli's innings. Gambhir said he would have been happy if Kohli got out trying to smack a six but his shot was a 'nothing shot'.

"It is T20 cricket, you think at times that you should back your instincts and you did that, but it is a frustrating shot because it was a nothing shot. If you were looking to hit a six and had gotten out, there is no problem with that, because you are trying to play a big shot," said Gambhir.

"Here neither did you try to hit a six nor did you find a gap. Literally, it was a nothing shot, probably that is why he will be even more disappointed," he added.

Nonetheless, Kohli's dismissal didn't cost India as Hardik Pandya's unbeaten 33 off 17 balls laced with 4 fours and a solitary six helped India get over the line comfortably in the thrilling last-over run-chase.

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has slammed senior batter Virat Kohli for his disappointing dismissal against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28).

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has slammed senior batter Virat Kohli for his disappointing dismissal against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28). All eyes were on Kohli as he made his comeback for the Indian team after taking a short break following the conclusion of the team's tour of England last month. Kohli, who made his 100th appearance for India in the game, contributed with a crucial knock of 35 runs as he helped India chase down the target of 148 runs with two balls to spare and seal a five-wicket win. While he looked in decent touch, Kohli once again failed to convert his start into a big score. The under-fire batter, who had recently endured criticism from all corners over his poor form, looked in fine rhythm and played some brilliant strokes en route to his 35 off 34 balls. However, he would have been disappointed by the way he got dismissed after playing a poor shot. Gambhir slammed Kohli for throwing his wicket away in quick succession after Indian skipper Rohit Sharma's departure. India got off to a shaky start in the 148-run chase as they lost opener KL Rahul on a duck in the very first over before Kohli and Rohit survived brilliant spells from Naseem Shah and Sahnawaz Dahani. Also Read: Welcome to the club: Ross Taylor wishes Virat Kohli on completing 100th T20I, former India captain responds Kohli and Rohit added 49 runs for the second wicket after Rahul's early departure before the duo got out in a similar fashion, getting caught by Iftikhar Ahmed off the bowling of Mohammad Nawaz. Gambhir said Kohli would have been disappointed by the way he got out and should have played more sensibly after witnessing Rohit depart on the other end. "He (Kohli) will be extremely disappointed because Rohit Sharma's wicket had just fallen and after that if you play a shot like that, it is good a youngster did not play that shot. There would have been a lot of criticism if a youngster had played that kind of shot," Gambhir said on Star Sports. "I am sure the number of runs he has scored in international cricket. When he sees this shot he will tell himself that the shot was not required. You played 34 balls and scored 35 runs, your captain had just gotten out, if you had built your innings a little more, things might have become easier," he added. Also Read: 'You can't have a spinner bowling..': Pakistan legend Wasim Akram points out Babar Azam's mistake vs India It was a half-hearted attempt from Kohli, who tried to go for a lofted shot on a tossed-up delivery from Nawaz but his execution was far from perfect. The ball went straight into the hands of Iftikhar, marking the end of Kohli's innings. Gambhir said he would have been happy if Kohli got out trying to smack a six but his shot was a 'nothing shot'. "It is T20 cricket, you think at times that you should back your instincts and you did that, but it is a frustrating shot because it was a nothing shot. If you were looking to hit a six and had gotten out, there is no problem with that, because you are trying to play a big shot," said Gambhir. "Here neither did you try to hit a six nor did you find a gap. Literally, it was a nothing shot, probably that is why he will be even more disappointed," he added. Nonetheless, Kohli's dismissal didn't cost India as Hardik Pandya's unbeaten 33 off 17 balls laced with 4 fours and a solitary six helped India get over the line comfortably in the thrilling last-over run-chase.

'It was a nothing shot': Gautam Gambhir slams Virat Kohli for his dismissal against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022

Let us take a look at stories generating interest across WION's social media channels.

Trending on WION | Asia Cup 2022: India defeats Pakistan by 5 wickets

Hardik Pandya was at his best when India locked horns with Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022, beating them by five wickets in a thrilling encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Sunday (August 28). After Rohit Sharma-led India opted to bowl first, Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 4/26 and Hardik's 3 for 25 dismissed Babar Azam-led Men in Green for a modest 147 in 19.5 overs.

In reply, Hardik joined India's run-chase at 89-4 in 14.2 overs, with the big three Rohit, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli back in the pavillion. The all-rounder stitched a match-winning 52-run fifth-wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja (29-ball 35) before ending with a fine 17-ball 33 not out and ending proceedings with a fine six, over long-on, in the last over. With India needing seven off the last six deliveries, Rohit &amp; Co. lost Jadeja on the first ball of the final over. Nonetheless, Hardik remained calm and composed as ever to complete the run-chase in style. After India's close win over arch-rivals Pakistan, an Afghanistan fan's celebration has gone viral.

In the video, he can be seen kissing Hardik on TV screens. The clip has become an instant hit on social media platform Twitter.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asia-cup-hardiks-savage-response-to-dinesh-karthik-in-last-over-of-ind-vs-pak-thriller-goes-viral-watch-511092">Asia Cup: Hardik's savage response to Dinesh Karthik in last-over of IND vs PAK thriller goes viral - watch</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Congratulations to all our brothers. Indians And Afghans🇦🇫🇮🇳. We the people Afghanistan celebrating this victory with or friend country indian people. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ViratKohli%F0%93%83%B5?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ViratKohli𓃵</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pandya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pandya</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsPAK</a> <a href="https://t.co/FFI5VvKE0d">pic.twitter.com/FFI5VvKE0d</a>
— A H (@YousafzaiAnayat) <a href="https://twitter.com/YousafzaiAnayat/status/1563966682590498816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shoaib-akhtar-slams-rohit-sharma-co-for-dropping-rishabh-pant-in-asia-cup-showdown-vs-pakistan-511142">Shoaib Akhtar slams Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. for dropping Rishabh Pant in Asia Cup showdown vs Pakistan</a>

At the post-match presentation, the 28-year-old Hardik opined, "In bowling, it's important to assess the situations and use your weapons. For me, bowling short and the hard lengths have been my strengths. It's about using them well and asking the right questions to make the batters commit a mistake. In a chase like this, you always plan over-by-over. I always knew that there is one young bowler and also one left-arm spinner. We only needed 7 off the last over but even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself. I know the bowler is under more pressure than me in the 20th over. I try to keep things simple."

Hardik Pandya was at his best when India locked horns with Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022, beating them by five wickets in a thrilling encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Sunday (August 28).

Hardik Pandya was at his best when India locked horns with Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022, beating them by five wickets in a thrilling encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Sunday (August 28). After Rohit Sharma-led India opted to bowl first, Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 4/26 and Hardik's 3 for 25 dismissed Babar Azam-led Men in Green for a modest 147 in 19.5 overs. In reply, Hardik joined India's run-chase at 89-4 in 14.2 overs, with the big three Rohit, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli back in the pavillion. The all-rounder stitched a match-winning 52-run fifth-wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja (29-ball 35) before ending with a fine 17-ball 33 not out and ending proceedings with a fine six, over long-on, in the last over. With India needing seven off the last six deliveries, Rohit & Co. lost Jadeja on the first ball of the final over. Nonetheless, Hardik remained calm and composed as ever to complete the run-chase in style. After India's close win over arch-rivals Pakistan, an Afghanistan fan's celebration has gone viral. In the video, he can be seen kissing Hardik on TV screens. The clip has become an instant hit on social media platform Twitter. ALSO READ | Asia Cup: Hardik's savage response to Dinesh Karthik in last-over of IND vs PAK thriller goes viral - watch Congratulations to all our brothers. Indians And Afghans🇦🇫🇮🇳. We the people Afghanistan celebrating this victory with or friend country indian people. #India #ViratKohli𓃵 #pandya #INDvsPAK pic.twitter.com/FFI5VvKE0d — A H (@YousafzaiAnayat) August 28, 2022 × ALSO READ | Shoaib Akhtar slams Rohit Sharma & Co. for dropping Rishabh Pant in Asia Cup showdown vs Pakistan At the post-match presentation, the 28-year-old Hardik opined, "In bowling, it's important to assess the situations and use your weapons. For me, bowling short and the hard lengths have been my strengths. It's about using them well and asking the right questions to make the batters commit a mistake. In a chase like this, you always plan over-by-over. I always knew that there is one young bowler and also one left-arm spinner. We only needed 7 off the last over but even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself. I know the bowler is under more pressure than me in the 20th over. I try to keep things simple."

WATCH: Afghanistan fan goes bonkers, kisses Hardik Pandya on TV after India's Asia Cup win vs Pakistan

Former India captain Virat Kohli lauded all-rounder Hardik Pandya after his match-winning heroics against Pakistan in the team's Asia Cup 2022 opener on Sunday (August 28). Pandya shone with the bat and the ball as India defeated Pakistan by 5 wickets in a last-over thriller at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai.

Pandya delivered an exceptional spell with the ball to finish with figures of 3/25 in his four overs before playing a match-winning knock of unbeaten 33 off just 17 balls to take India home in the pressure run chase. Pandya came out to bat at number six and remained unbeaten till the end to take India over the line in style with a six in the final over.

India were in a tricky spot in their pursuit of the target of 149 runs at 89/4 in the 15th over when Pandya joined Ravindra Jadeja in the middle. The duo shared a 52-run stand for the fifth wicket and took India closer to the victory line before Jadeja ended up losing his wicket on the very first delivery of the final over.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/even-if-we-needed-15-id-have-fancied-myself-hardik-pandya-after-india-edge-past-pakistan-in-asia-cup-511042">'Even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself': Hardik Pandya after India edge past Pakistan in Asia Cup</a>

However, with 7 to get off the final five balls, Pandya showed nerves of steel&nbsp;and smacked a six on the 4th delivery from Mohammad Nawaz to help India win with two balls to spare. Hardik was praised by many, including his teammate and former captain Kohli, who took to his Instagram story to hail him as a champion.

<img alt="Virat Kohli story Pandya" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5ff21e52-c541-44bf-b174-8d7120bd3d9e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Kohli%20story%20Pandya.png" />

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asia-cup-hardiks-savage-response-to-dinesh-karthik-in-last-over-of-ind-vs-pak-thriller-goes-viral-watch-511092">Hardik's savage response to Dinesh Karthik in last-over of IND vs PAK thriller goes viral - watch</a>

It was one of the best performances from Pandya in the blue jersey as he once again proved why he is one of the best all-rounders in white-ball cricket at present. After bagging the Man of the Match award for his impressive outing, Pandya recalled India's clash against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2018 where he had to be stretchered&nbsp;off after an injury and expressed gratitude over&nbsp;his redemption.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
From <a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hardikpandya7</a>'s emotional Asia Cup journey to <a href="https://twitter.com/imjadeja?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imjadeja</a>'s solid batting display! 
 
The all-rounder duo chat up after <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> win their <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCup2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCup2022</a> opener against Pakistan - by <a href="https://twitter.com/ameyatilak?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ameyatilak</a> 
 
Full interview <a href="https://t.co/efJHpc4dBo">https://t.co/efJHpc4dBo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvPAK</a> <a href="https://t.co/MJOij6bDRl">pic.twitter.com/MJOij6bDRl</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1564107956358000640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"I was recalling everything. I was taken out on a stretcher. The same dressing room. You know, you feel a sense of achievement because the things that have happened and after that getting an opportunity like this... so the journey is very beautiful," Pandya told Jadeja in a video shared by BCCI.

"In the last over, seven runs didn't seem too much for me because it was a left-arm spinner and five fielders were in. So all that didn't matter to me because even if there were 10 fielders outside, I had to hit," he added.

&nbsp;

Former India captain Virat Kohli lauded all-rounder Hardik Pandya after his match-winning heroics against Pakistan in the team's Asia Cup 2022 opener on Sunday (August 28).

Former India captain Virat Kohli lauded all-rounder Hardik Pandya after his match-winning heroics against Pakistan in the team's Asia Cup 2022 opener on Sunday (August 28). Pandya shone with the bat and the ball as India defeated Pakistan by 5 wickets in a last-over thriller at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. Pandya delivered an exceptional spell with the ball to finish with figures of 3/25 in his four overs before playing a match-winning knock of unbeaten 33 off just 17 balls to take India home in the pressure run chase. Pandya came out to bat at number six and remained unbeaten till the end to take India over the line in style with a six in the final over. India were in a tricky spot in their pursuit of the target of 149 runs at 89/4 in the 15th over when Pandya joined Ravindra Jadeja in the middle. The duo shared a 52-run stand for the fifth wicket and took India closer to the victory line before Jadeja ended up losing his wicket on the very first delivery of the final over. Also Read: 'Even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself': Hardik Pandya after India edge past Pakistan in Asia Cup However, with 7 to get off the final five balls, Pandya showed nerves of steel and smacked a six on the 4th delivery from Mohammad Nawaz to help India win with two balls to spare. Hardik was praised by many, including his teammate and former captain Kohli, who took to his Instagram story to hail him as a champion. Also Read: Hardik's savage response to Dinesh Karthik in last-over of IND vs PAK thriller goes viral - watch It was one of the best performances from Pandya in the blue jersey as he once again proved why he is one of the best all-rounders in white-ball cricket at present. After bagging the Man of the Match award for his impressive outing, Pandya recalled India's clash against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2018 where he had to be stretchered off after an injury and expressed gratitude over his redemption. From @hardikpandya7's emotional Asia Cup journey to @imjadeja's solid batting display! The all-rounder duo chat up after #TeamIndia win their #AsiaCup2022 opener against Pakistan - by @ameyatilak Full interview https://t.co/efJHpc4dBo #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/MJOij6bDRl — BCCI (@BCCI) August 29, 2022 × "I was recalling everything. I was taken out on a stretcher. The same dressing room. You know, you feel a sense of achievement because the things that have happened and after that getting an opportunity like this... so the journey is very beautiful," Pandya told Jadeja in a video shared by BCCI. "In the last over, seven runs didn't seem too much for me because it was a left-arm spinner and five fielders were in. So all that didn't matter to me because even if there were 10 fielders outside, I had to hit," he added.

'Champion': Virat Kohli hails Hardik Pandya after all-rounder's match-winning heroics against Pakistan

Hardik Pandya was the star performer for Team India when they opened their campaign in the Asia Cup 2022 edition, locking horns with Babar Azam's Pakistan at the Duvai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Sunday evening (August 28). After Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 4 for 26 and Hardik's 3-fer dismissed Pakistan for 147 in 19.5 overs, as Men in Blue opted to bowl first, India rode on Ravindra Jadeja's 29-ball 35 and Hardik's 17-ball 33 not out to achieve a thrilling five-wicket win infront of a jam-packed crowd at the venue.&nbsp;

Hardik came out to bat with India reduced to 89-4, following spinner Mohammad Nawaz's twin strikes, in the 15th over of the run-chase. He stitched a valuable 52-run stand for the fifth-wicket with Jadeja before losing his partner on the first ball of the last over, with 7 required for a victory. Jadeja went for the aerial shot but didn't connect as Nawaz struck once again to bring the match alive. With Dinesh Karthik coming in, preferred over Rishabh Pant in the playing XI, he gave the strike to Hardik on the next ball. The 28-year-old drove the following delivery powerfully but failed to close the game. With six required off three deliveries, Karthik said something to Hardik whose confident nod went viral in no time. On the next ball, the all-rounder connected and slammed a huge six over long-on to finish the run-chase in style.&nbsp;

Here's the video of Hardik's savage response to DK:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HardikPandya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HardikPandya</a> "...paathukalaam" GIF 🔥🧊 <a href="https://t.co/hX29qHJEAr">pic.twitter.com/hX29qHJEAr</a>
— Ganesh Ramachandran (@aLastWordFreak) <a href="https://twitter.com/aLastWordFreak/status/1563956442130165761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/afridi-claims-no-one-in-team-india-likes-gautam-gambhir-twitterati-unimpressed-with-harbhajans-reaction-511075">Afridi claims 'no one in Team India likes Gautam Gambhir', Twitterati unimpressed with Harbhajan's reaction</a>

At the post-match presentation, Hardik opined, "In bowling, it's important to assess the situations and use your weapons. For me, bowling short and the hard lengths have been my strengths. It's about using them well and asking the right questions to make the batters commit a mistake. In a chase like this, you always plan over-by-over. I always knew that there is one young bowler and also one left-arm spinner. We only needed 7 off the last over but even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself. I know the bowler is under more pressure than me in the 20th over. I try to keep things simple."

India will next face Hong Kong on Wednesday (August 31) at the same venue before the action moves to the Super Four round in the 2022 Asia Cup, in the UAE.

Hardik Pandya was the star performer for Team India when they opened their campaign in the Asia Cup 2022 edition, locking horns with Babar Azam's Pakistan at the Duvai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Sunday evening (August 28).

Hardik Pandya was the star performer for Team India when they opened their campaign in the Asia Cup 2022 edition, locking horns with Babar Azam's Pakistan at the Duvai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Sunday evening (August 28). After Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 4 for 26 and Hardik's 3-fer dismissed Pakistan for 147 in 19.5 overs, as Men in Blue opted to bowl first, India rode on Ravindra Jadeja's 29-ball 35 and Hardik's 17-ball 33 not out to achieve a thrilling five-wicket win infront of a jam-packed crowd at the venue. Hardik came out to bat with India reduced to 89-4, following spinner Mohammad Nawaz's twin strikes, in the 15th over of the run-chase. He stitched a valuable 52-run stand for the fifth-wicket with Jadeja before losing his partner on the first ball of the last over, with 7 required for a victory. Jadeja went for the aerial shot but didn't connect as Nawaz struck once again to bring the match alive. With Dinesh Karthik coming in, preferred over Rishabh Pant in the playing XI, he gave the strike to Hardik on the next ball. The 28-year-old drove the following delivery powerfully but failed to close the game. With six required off three deliveries, Karthik said something to Hardik whose confident nod went viral in no time. On the next ball, the all-rounder connected and slammed a huge six over long-on to finish the run-chase in style. Here's the video of Hardik's savage response to DK: The #HardikPandya "...paathukalaam" GIF 🔥🧊 pic.twitter.com/hX29qHJEAr — Ganesh Ramachandran (@aLastWordFreak) August 28, 2022 × ALSO READ | Afridi claims 'no one in Team India likes Gautam Gambhir', Twitterati unimpressed with Harbhajan's reaction At the post-match presentation, Hardik opined, "In bowling, it's important to assess the situations and use your weapons. For me, bowling short and the hard lengths have been my strengths. It's about using them well and asking the right questions to make the batters commit a mistake. In a chase like this, you always plan over-by-over. I always knew that there is one young bowler and also one left-arm spinner. We only needed 7 off the last over but even if we needed 15, I'd have fancied myself. I know the bowler is under more pressure than me in the 20th over. I try to keep things simple." India will next face Hong Kong on Wednesday (August 31) at the same venue before the action moves to the Super Four round in the 2022 Asia Cup, in the UAE.

Asia Cup: Hardik's savage response to Dinesh Karthik in last-over of IND vs PAK thriller goes viral - watch

Virat Kohli's lean patch has been a huge concern for the Indian team with the T20 World Cup just a couple of months away. Kohli has been far from his best for the Indian team across formats for a while now and has struggled for consistency. The batting maestro will be making his comeback in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 after a short hiatus from cricket.

Kohli last featured for the Indian team during their tour of England last month where his poor form with the willow continued as the batting maestro managed only 76 runs across one Test, two ODIs and as many T20Is. Kohli was subsequently rested from India's tour of West Indies and Zimbabwe and is set to mark his return in India's opener against Pakistan at Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28).

It has been a difficult few months for Kohli, who recently admitted he was struggling mentally due to his poor form and didn't touch a bat for a month for the first time in ten years during his recent break. Amid his rough patch, Kohli has once again found support from Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

Babar, who had earlier shared a tweet extending his support to the under-fire India superstar, once again backed Kohli to spark a turnaround in the Asia Cup. Babar said every cricketer has to go through ups and downs in his career and Kohli remains one of the best batters in the world despite his current struggles.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/you-can-create-the-hype-i-will-focus-on-the-match-rohit-sharma-ahead-of-high-pressure-pakistan-clash-510809">You can create the hype, I will focus on the match: Rohit Sharma ahead of high-pressure Pakistan clash</a>

"Nothing is easy in life. There are challenges everywhere. It is up to you how you achieve things in life and how you overcome the challenges you face. Virat is still one of the best batters world cricket," Babar said on the eve of the India-Pakistan clash in Asia Cup 2022.

"How you compete against a player like him, and that too in different conditions, is very important. Every cricketer, if you ask me, faces ups and downs in their career. It's not that there is only success and no failures. You really need a strong mindset to handle things in life that often do not go in your favour," he added.

Babar, who has been one of the most consistent performers for Pakistan across formats since taking charge of the team, also spoke about his team's chances against India. Pakistan had defeated India comprehensively by ten wickets in the last meeting between the two sides at the same venue in the T20 World Cup last year.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-might-be-thinking-of-revenge-pakistan-head-coach-issues-warning-to-babar-co-ahead-of-india-clash-510801">'India might be thinking of revenge': Pakistan head coach issues warning to Babar &amp; Co. ahead of India clash</a>

However, Babar believes the game is a thing of the past now and the meeting between the arch-rivals in the Asia Cup 2022 presents a fresh challenge. The Pakistan skipper said his team is not focused on the past but confident to prove their mettle on the field on Sunday.

"Honestly, that game is a thing of past now. It won't have an impact on Sunday's match. I am completely focused on tomorrow's game. The teams are kind of different, the conditions are different. Although as a side we are confident, we won't talk big ahead of the game. We wish to prove it on the field. As a captain, I am ready to give my 100 per cent," Babar said.

"Every cricket lover around the world waits for this clash. We, as cricketers also enjoy taking part in it. Both the teams try their best to keep their respective fans happy," he added.

Virat Kohli's lean patch has been a huge concern for the Indian team with the T20 World Cup just a couple of months away. Kohli has been far from his best for the Indian team across formats for a while now and has struggled for consistency.

Virat Kohli's lean patch has been a huge concern for the Indian team with the T20 World Cup just a couple of months away. Kohli has been far from his best for the Indian team across formats for a while now and has struggled for consistency. The batting maestro will be making his comeback in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 after a short hiatus from cricket. Kohli last featured for the Indian team during their tour of England last month where his poor form with the willow continued as the batting maestro managed only 76 runs across one Test, two ODIs and as many T20Is. Kohli was subsequently rested from India's tour of West Indies and Zimbabwe and is set to mark his return in India's opener against Pakistan at Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28). It has been a difficult few months for Kohli, who recently admitted he was struggling mentally due to his poor form and didn't touch a bat for a month for the first time in ten years during his recent break. Amid his rough patch, Kohli has once again found support from Pakistan captain Babar Azam. Babar, who had earlier shared a tweet extending his support to the under-fire India superstar, once again backed Kohli to spark a turnaround in the Asia Cup. Babar said every cricketer has to go through ups and downs in his career and Kohli remains one of the best batters in the world despite his current struggles. Also Read: You can create the hype, I will focus on the match: Rohit Sharma ahead of high-pressure Pakistan clash "Nothing is easy in life. There are challenges everywhere. It is up to you how you achieve things in life and how you overcome the challenges you face. Virat is still one of the best batters world cricket," Babar said on the eve of the India-Pakistan clash in Asia Cup 2022. "How you compete against a player like him, and that too in different conditions, is very important. Every cricketer, if you ask me, faces ups and downs in their career. It's not that there is only success and no failures. You really need a strong mindset to handle things in life that often do not go in your favour," he added. Babar, who has been one of the most consistent performers for Pakistan across formats since taking charge of the team, also spoke about his team's chances against India. Pakistan had defeated India comprehensively by ten wickets in the last meeting between the two sides at the same venue in the T20 World Cup last year. Also Read: 'India might be thinking of revenge': Pakistan head coach issues warning to Babar & Co. ahead of India clash However, Babar believes the game is a thing of the past now and the meeting between the arch-rivals in the Asia Cup 2022 presents a fresh challenge. The Pakistan skipper said his team is not focused on the past but confident to prove their mettle on the field on Sunday. "Honestly, that game is a thing of past now. It won't have an impact on Sunday's match. I am completely focused on tomorrow's game. The teams are kind of different, the conditions are different. Although as a side we are confident, we won't talk big ahead of the game. We wish to prove it on the field. As a captain, I am ready to give my 100 per cent," Babar said. "Every cricket lover around the world waits for this clash. We, as cricketers also enjoy taking part in it. Both the teams try their best to keep their respective fans happy," he added.

Virat Kohli is still one of the best: Babar Azam backs under-fire India superstar ahead of Asia Cup meeting

Pakistan brought an end to their losing streak against India in World Cup matches last year after thrashing the Men in Blue by ten wickets in the T20 World Cup 2021. Babar Azam &amp; Co. produced a stunning all-round performance to outclass their arch-rivals and snap their 12-match losing streak.

India&nbsp;are all set to lock horns with Pakistan for the first time since the disappointing defeat in their Asia Cup 2022 opener in Dubai on Sunday (August 28). The arch-rivals will be looking to get the better of each other and get off to a winning start in what promises to be a blockbuster clash.

Ahead of the crucial encounter, Pakistan head coach Saqlain Mushtaq issued a warning to his team and advised them not to dwell on the past. Mushtaq said Pakistan can look back to their comprehensive 10-wicket victory at the T20 World Cup last year to seek positives but facing India at the Asia Cup this year is an entirely different challenge.

"You definitely look at the past to get some positives and understand what better you could have done. India might be thinking of revenge for their defeat last year. But as far as Pakistan is concerned, I think they will know that they can't dwell on the past and be over-excited as it is all about a new day and a new challenge that lies ahead," Mushtaq told Sportskeeda.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-pakistan-asia-cup-2022-date-match-time-predicted-playing-xis-and-live-streaming-details-510711">India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2022: Date, match time, predicted playing XIs and live streaming details</a>

Both India and Pakistan will start the tournament as favourites having performed well in the Asia Cup over the year. While Pakistan are missing the services of pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, India will be without their best fast bowler in Jasprit Bumrah. Both teams will hope for youngsters to soak in the pressure and deliver in the high-profile game.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-dont-have-jasprit-bumrah-sourav-ganguly-reacts-to-shaheen-afridis-absence-from-india-pakistan-clash-510725">'We also don't have Jasprit Bumrah': Sourav Ganguly reacts to Shaheen Afridi's absence</a>

India have won on four occasions in the last five meetings against Pakistan in the Asia Cup and defeated the Men in Green by 5 wickets in the only T20I game between them in the tournament. Despite missing Bumrah, India have enough firepower in their line-up to outclass Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday.

Pakistan brought an end to their losing streak against India in World Cup matches last year after thrashing the Men in Blue by ten wickets in the T20 World Cup 2021.

Pakistan brought an end to their losing streak against India in World Cup matches last year after thrashing the Men in Blue by ten wickets in the T20 World Cup 2021. Babar Azam & Co. produced a stunning all-round performance to outclass their arch-rivals and snap their 12-match losing streak. India are all set to lock horns with Pakistan for the first time since the disappointing defeat in their Asia Cup 2022 opener in Dubai on Sunday (August 28). The arch-rivals will be looking to get the better of each other and get off to a winning start in what promises to be a blockbuster clash. Ahead of the crucial encounter, Pakistan head coach Saqlain Mushtaq issued a warning to his team and advised them not to dwell on the past. Mushtaq said Pakistan can look back to their comprehensive 10-wicket victory at the T20 World Cup last year to seek positives but facing India at the Asia Cup this year is an entirely different challenge. "You definitely look at the past to get some positives and understand what better you could have done. India might be thinking of revenge for their defeat last year. But as far as Pakistan is concerned, I think they will know that they can't dwell on the past and be over-excited as it is all about a new day and a new challenge that lies ahead," Mushtaq told Sportskeeda. Also Read: India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2022: Date, match time, predicted playing XIs and live streaming details Both India and Pakistan will start the tournament as favourites having performed well in the Asia Cup over the year. While Pakistan are missing the services of pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, India will be without their best fast bowler in Jasprit Bumrah. Both teams will hope for youngsters to soak in the pressure and deliver in the high-profile game. Also Read: 'We also don't have Jasprit Bumrah': Sourav Ganguly reacts to Shaheen Afridi's absence India have won on four occasions in the last five meetings against Pakistan in the Asia Cup and defeated the Men in Green by 5 wickets in the only T20I game between them in the tournament. Despite missing Bumrah, India have enough firepower in their line-up to outclass Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday.

'India might be thinking of revenge': Pakistan head coach issues warning to Babar & Co. ahead of India clash

Team India Head Coach Rahul Dravid has reached Dubai for Asia Cup 2022 and has joined the team in the hotel after having tested negative for Covid-19, sources told ANI.

India will take on Pakistan today evening in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 and revenge will be on the mind of players after suffering a humiliating defeat the last time these two Asian giants collided on cricket pitch. Earlier this week, he tested positive with "mild symptoms" for the virus in a routine test conducted ahead of the team`s departure to the UAE for Asia Cup 2022.

After Dravid being tested positive for Covid, the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Wednesday named VVS Laxman as the interim head coach for Team India (Senior Men) for the important Asia Cup.

So far, both sides have locked horns on nine occasions in T20I matches. India has an edge overall, with wins in seven matches out of these. Pakistan has won only two. But the last time these two met was during the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, in which India suffered a humiliating ten-wicket defeat.

Left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi destroyed the Indian top order with two quick strikes. Contributions from then-skipper Virat Kohli (57) and Rishabh Pant (39) took India to 151/7 in their 20 overs but knocks from Mohammed Rizwan (79*) and Pakistani skipper Babar Azam (68*) meant that Men in Blue succumbed to a shocking defeat.

India will be looking forward to putting up a big fight this time around. They have been in fantastic form as of late, having defeated England and West Indies in their respective territories in ODI and T20I series. They are also the number one side in T20Is.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/you-learn-from-mistakes-rohit-sharma-on-how-t20-world-cup-loss-to-pakistan-affected-indias-asia-cup-prep-510755">‘You learn from mistakes’- Rohit Sharma on how T20 World Cup loss to Pakistan affected India's Asia Cup prep</a>

For this, it will be extremely vital for skipper Rohit Sharma, star batters Virat Kohli and KL Rahul to be at peak of their powers and showcase the brutality with their willow that has earned them millions of fans. All eyes will be on Rohit and Virat to regain their best form and play a match-winning knock.

India`s middle order has been seeing a rise of new stars. Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Hooda are two exciting strikers who can attack from ball one. These two hitters have their chance to etch their names in history in this match against their arch-rivals.

Experienced middle-order batters/all-rounders like Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant will also be looking forward to carrying on the fine form they are in. The Indian bowling attack has a lot of depth. In absence of lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah, all eyes will be on Bhuvneshwar Kumar to lead the attack.

He has been superb for India in T20Is this year, especially during powerplays, a phase in which India will look up to him for early strikes. Youngsters Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan will have their chance to make an impact as well.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-pakistan-asia-cup-2022-date-match-time-predicted-playing-xis-and-live-streaming-details-510711">India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2022: Date, match time, predicted playing XIs and live streaming details</a>

In the spin department, veterans Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be leading the attack. They along with Yuzvnedra Chahal and youngster Ravi Bishnoi will have to complement the pace attack well and bamboozle Pakistanis with their deliveries.

Coming to team Pakistan, they are the third-ranked side in ICC T20I rankings and are not to be taken lightly. Their top order has two in-form batters in Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan.

Team India Head Coach Rahul Dravid has reached Dubai for Asia Cup 2022 and has joined the team in the hotel after having tested negative for Covid-19, sources told ANI.

Team India Head Coach Rahul Dravid has reached Dubai for Asia Cup 2022 and has joined the team in the hotel after having tested negative for Covid-19, sources told ANI. India will take on Pakistan today evening in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 and revenge will be on the mind of players after suffering a humiliating defeat the last time these two Asian giants collided on cricket pitch. Earlier this week, he tested positive with "mild symptoms" for the virus in a routine test conducted ahead of the team`s departure to the UAE for Asia Cup 2022. After Dravid being tested positive for Covid, the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Wednesday named VVS Laxman as the interim head coach for Team India (Senior Men) for the important Asia Cup. So far, both sides have locked horns on nine occasions in T20I matches. India has an edge overall, with wins in seven matches out of these. Pakistan has won only two. But the last time these two met was during the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, in which India suffered a humiliating ten-wicket defeat. Left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi destroyed the Indian top order with two quick strikes. Contributions from then-skipper Virat Kohli (57) and Rishabh Pant (39) took India to 151/7 in their 20 overs but knocks from Mohammed Rizwan (79*) and Pakistani skipper Babar Azam (68*) meant that Men in Blue succumbed to a shocking defeat. India will be looking forward to putting up a big fight this time around. They have been in fantastic form as of late, having defeated England and West Indies in their respective territories in ODI and T20I series. They are also the number one side in T20Is. Also Read: ‘You learn from mistakes’- Rohit Sharma on how T20 World Cup loss to Pakistan affected India's Asia Cup prep For this, it will be extremely vital for skipper Rohit Sharma, star batters Virat Kohli and KL Rahul to be at peak of their powers and showcase the brutality with their willow that has earned them millions of fans. All eyes will be on Rohit and Virat to regain their best form and play a match-winning knock. India`s middle order has been seeing a rise of new stars. Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Hooda are two exciting strikers who can attack from ball one. These two hitters have their chance to etch their names in history in this match against their arch-rivals. Experienced middle-order batters/all-rounders like Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant will also be looking forward to carrying on the fine form they are in. The Indian bowling attack has a lot of depth. In absence of lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah, all eyes will be on Bhuvneshwar Kumar to lead the attack. He has been superb for India in T20Is this year, especially during powerplays, a phase in which India will look up to him for early strikes. Youngsters Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan will have their chance to make an impact as well. Also Read: India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2022: Date, match time, predicted playing XIs and live streaming details In the spin department, veterans Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be leading the attack. They along with Yuzvnedra Chahal and youngster Ravi Bishnoi will have to complement the pace attack well and bamboozle Pakistanis with their deliveries. Coming to team Pakistan, they are the third-ranked side in ICC T20I rankings and are not to be taken lightly. Their top order has two in-form batters in Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan.

Asia Cup: Head coach Rahul Dravid tests negative for COVID-19, joins team ahead of India-Pakistan clash

Virat Kohli is all set to become the first Indian to complete the milestone of playing 100 matches across all three formats of the game. While the former Indian captain has already played over 100 matches each in Tests and ODIs, he will make his 100th appearance for the Indian team in T20Is in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28).

India's opening game against Pakistan in the Asia Cup will be Kohli's 100th T20I for the Men in Blue. Kohli will be making his comeback in the Asia Cup after a short break from the game amid his lean patch with the willow. He last featured for India on their tour of England last month.

Ahead of his milestone game, Kohli's good friend and his former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammate AB de Villiers sent him a heartfelt message congratulating him on the achievement.&nbsp;

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate my very good friend Virat Kohli on becoming the first Indian cricket player to play 100 matches across all three formats. What an amazing achievement Virat! We are all very proud of you and all the very best in your 100th T20 International game. We will be watching you”, said AB de Villiers in a video posted by Star Sports.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/ABdeVilliers17?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABdeVilliers17</a> has a special message for his close friend <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> ahead of his 100th T20I! 
 
DP World <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCup2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCup2022</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvPAK</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BelieveInBlue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BelieveInBlue</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GreatestRivalry?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GreatestRivalry</a> <a href="https://t.co/nG0VbOo27O">pic.twitter.com/nG0VbOo27O</a>
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia/status/1563769290444120064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/a-look-at-winners-of-last-eight-editions-of-asia-cup-508930">A look at winners of last eight editions of Asia Cup</a>

Another South African legend and Kohli's current RCB teammate Faf du Plessis also congratulated Kohli ahead of his 100th T20I for India.&nbsp;

“Hello Virat, I want to send a quick video message to say congrats on your 100th T20 International. Now that you are becoming the first Indian cricketer o play 100 over all three formats, another fantastic achievement that you can add to the list of all the amazing things you have already done," said Du Plessis.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A 𝐅𝐚𝐟-𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 message on this fantastic day for <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a>! 
 
Hear what <a href="https://twitter.com/faf1307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@faf1307</a> has to say to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KingKohli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KingKohli</a> before he takes the field on this milestone day!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BelieveInBlue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BelieveInBlue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GreatestRivalry?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GreatestRivalry</a> <a href="https://t.co/se8aPlNtO9">pic.twitter.com/se8aPlNtO9</a>
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia/status/1563791128238899201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"But I am also looking forward to see the next few years, what you are going to come up with, what are the special things we are going to see from you. I know that there is a lot left in that tank of yours and I am excited to see it. Congratulations and good luck for the Asia Cup," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-was-touched-by-the-way-indian-players-met-shaheen-afridi-visuals-were-heartwarming-babar-azam-510874">I was touched by the way Indian players met Shaheen Afridi, visuals were heartwarming: Babar Azam</a>

Kohli, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time, has so far played 102 Tests, 262 ODIs and 99 T20Is in his international career. He has 8074, 12344 and 3308 runs in the three formats respectively. Kohli has been one of the most prolific run-getters for India over the years, but his recent dip in form has led to questions over his place in India's T20 squad.

However, Kohli retains the faith of captain Rohit Sharma and the Indian team management, who have backed him constantly. The under-fire superstar will be hoping to return to form in the Asia Cup with just a couple of months left for the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia this year.

Virat Kohli is all set to become the first Indian to complete the milestone of playing 100 matches across all three formats of the game. While the former Indian captain has already played over 100 matches each in Tests and ODIs, he will make his 100th appearance for the Indian team in T20Is in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28).

Virat Kohli is all set to become the first Indian to complete the milestone of playing 100 matches across all three formats of the game. While the former Indian captain has already played over 100 matches each in Tests and ODIs, he will make his 100th appearance for the Indian team in T20Is in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28). India's opening game against Pakistan in the Asia Cup will be Kohli's 100th T20I for the Men in Blue. Kohli will be making his comeback in the Asia Cup after a short break from the game amid his lean patch with the willow. He last featured for India on their tour of England last month. Ahead of his milestone game, Kohli's good friend and his former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammate AB de Villiers sent him a heartfelt message congratulating him on the achievement. “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate my very good friend Virat Kohli on becoming the first Indian cricket player to play 100 matches across all three formats. What an amazing achievement Virat! We are all very proud of you and all the very best in your 100th T20 International game. We will be watching you”, said AB de Villiers in a video posted by Star Sports. .@ABdeVilliers17 has a special message for his close friend @imVkohli ahead of his 100th T20I! DP World #AsiaCup2022 | #INDvPAK | #TeamIndia | #BelieveInBlue | #GreatestRivalry pic.twitter.com/nG0VbOo27O — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 28, 2022 × Also Read: A look at winners of last eight editions of Asia Cup Another South African legend and Kohli's current RCB teammate Faf du Plessis also congratulated Kohli ahead of his 100th T20I for India. “Hello Virat, I want to send a quick video message to say congrats on your 100th T20 International. Now that you are becoming the first Indian cricketer o play 100 over all three formats, another fantastic achievement that you can add to the list of all the amazing things you have already done," said Du Plessis. A 𝐅𝐚𝐟-𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 message on this fantastic day for @imVkohli! Hear what @faf1307 has to say to #KingKohli before he takes the field on this milestone day!#BelieveInBlue #GreatestRivalry pic.twitter.com/se8aPlNtO9 — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 28, 2022 × "But I am also looking forward to see the next few years, what you are going to come up with, what are the special things we are going to see from you. I know that there is a lot left in that tank of yours and I am excited to see it. Congratulations and good luck for the Asia Cup," he added. Also Read: I was touched by the way Indian players met Shaheen Afridi, visuals were heartwarming: Babar Azam Kohli, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time, has so far played 102 Tests, 262 ODIs and 99 T20Is in his international career. He has 8074, 12344 and 3308 runs in the three formats respectively. Kohli has been one of the most prolific run-getters for India over the years, but his recent dip in form has led to questions over his place in India's T20 squad. However, Kohli retains the faith of captain Rohit Sharma and the Indian team management, who have backed him constantly. The under-fire superstar will be hoping to return to form in the Asia Cup with just a couple of months left for the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia this year.

WATCH: AB de Villiers sends heartfelt message to Virat Kohli ahead of former India captain's 100th T20I

India and Pakistan players have been spotted exchanging pleasantries and meeting each other with warmth ahead of the clash between the two sides in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022. While the hype sorrounding the much-awaited clash between the two rivals has hit the peak, the players have ensured the rivalry is limited to the field as they remain cordial off it.

Team India stars like Virat Kohli, Yuzvendra Chahal and KL Rahul among others were seen catching up with injured Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi on the sidelines of the two teams' training session on Friday. The Indian players checked on Afridi, who will not take part in the tournament due to a knee injury.

Ahead of the marquee clash, Pakistan captain Babar Azam admitted he was touched by Indian players' gesture for injured Afridi and said the visuals of their meeting was heartwarming. However, the Pakistan skipper made it clear the friendship will be kept aside when the two teams lock horns on the pitch.

“I was actually touched by the way they met Shaheen Shah Afridi during Thursday's training session and expressed their support to him. The visuals of the players interacting with each other were also heartwarming and reflected the respect and friendship they enjoy. But on the match day, everything will be kept aside and players from either side will come hard at each other in an effort to overpower the other," Babar said in an official release shared by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-pakistan-a-look-at-results-of-last-five-meetings-between-the-arch-rivals-in-asia-cup-510843">India vs Pakistan: A look at results of last five meetings between the arch-rivals in Asia Cup</a>

India and Pakistan will renew their raivlry at the Asia Cup for the first time in ten months. Pakistan hammered India by ten wickets when the two teams last met at the T20 World Cup this year. However, when it comes to the head-to-ead record between the two teams in the Asia Cup, India leads 8-5 against the Men in Green.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-enjoys-candid-interaction-with-babar-azam-ahead-of-highly-anticipated-asia-cup-clash-510735">Rohit Sharma enjoys candid interaction with Babar Azam ahead of highly anticipated Asia Cup clash</a>

In the last edition of the tournament, India defeated Pakistan twice on their way to lifting the title under Rohit Sharma's captaincy. The Men in Blue will be looking to repeat their feat once again this year with Rohit in charge of the side once again. India have won the Asia Cup a record seven times, and are the most successful team in the tournament's history.

Both India and Pakistan will be looking to get off to a winning start when they take on each other in the much-awaited clash at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on Sunday (August 28).

India and Pakistan players have been spotted exchanging pleasantries and meeting each other with warmth ahead of the clash between the two sides in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022.

India and Pakistan players have been spotted exchanging pleasantries and meeting each other with warmth ahead of the clash between the two sides in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022. While the hype sorrounding the much-awaited clash between the two rivals has hit the peak, the players have ensured the rivalry is limited to the field as they remain cordial off it. Team India stars like Virat Kohli, Yuzvendra Chahal and KL Rahul among others were seen catching up with injured Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi on the sidelines of the two teams' training session on Friday. The Indian players checked on Afridi, who will not take part in the tournament due to a knee injury. Ahead of the marquee clash, Pakistan captain Babar Azam admitted he was touched by Indian players' gesture for injured Afridi and said the visuals of their meeting was heartwarming. However, the Pakistan skipper made it clear the friendship will be kept aside when the two teams lock horns on the pitch. “I was actually touched by the way they met Shaheen Shah Afridi during Thursday's training session and expressed their support to him. The visuals of the players interacting with each other were also heartwarming and reflected the respect and friendship they enjoy. But on the match day, everything will be kept aside and players from either side will come hard at each other in an effort to overpower the other," Babar said in an official release shared by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Also Read: India vs Pakistan: A look at results of last five meetings between the arch-rivals in Asia Cup India and Pakistan will renew their raivlry at the Asia Cup for the first time in ten months. Pakistan hammered India by ten wickets when the two teams last met at the T20 World Cup this year. However, when it comes to the head-to-ead record between the two teams in the Asia Cup, India leads 8-5 against the Men in Green. Also Read: Rohit Sharma enjoys candid interaction with Babar Azam ahead of highly anticipated Asia Cup clash In the last edition of the tournament, India defeated Pakistan twice on their way to lifting the title under Rohit Sharma's captaincy. The Men in Blue will be looking to repeat their feat once again this year with Rohit in charge of the side once again. India have won the Asia Cup a record seven times, and are the most successful team in the tournament's history. Both India and Pakistan will be looking to get off to a winning start when they take on each other in the much-awaited clash at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on Sunday (August 28).

I was touched by the way Indian players met Shaheen Afridi, visuals were heartwarming: Babar Azam

The biggest rivalry in cricket is set to resume as India and Pakistan take on each other in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022. The arch-rivals will lock horns in their tournament opener at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on August 28 (Sunday). This will be the first meeting between the two teams in ten months.

Pakistan got the better of India when the two teams last met at the T20 World Cup last where Shaheen Afridi's sensational spell followed by two brilliant half-centuries from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan helped Pakistan register a thumping ten-wicket win against the Men in Blue.

While not much has changed for Pakistan since then, India have undergone a massive transformation under captain Rohit Sharma. With a young bowling attack and in-form middle-order, India would be hoping to continue their stellar run under Rohit in the Asia Cup. India are yet to lose a T20I series since Rohit took charge as permanent captain last year.

When it comes to the head-to-head record between the two teams in the Asia Cup, India enjoy an advantage with eight wins in a total of 15 meetings. Pakistan have won five matches against the Men in Blue while two games ended in a tie. India are the most successful team in Asia Cup history with seven titles while Pakistan have managed only two titles so far.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/a-look-at-winners-of-last-eight-editions-of-asia-cup-508930">A look at winners of last eight editions of Asia Cup</a>

Here is a look at the results of the last five meetings between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup:

Asia Cup 2012 - India beat Pakistan by 6 wickets

MS Dhoni-led India defeated Pakistan by six wickets in their clash at the Asia Cup 2012. Batting first, Pakistan rode on centuries from openers Mohammad Hafeez (105) and Nasir Jamshed (112) to post a big total of 329 runs on the board. However, Virat Kohli single-handedly won India the game with a stunning knock of 183 runs.

Asia Cup 2014 - Pakistan beat India by 1 wicket

It was a thrilling showdown between the two arch-rivals in Asia Cup 2014 where Pakistan got the better of India by one wicket. Half-centuries from Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja propelled India to a total of 245 runs. However, Pakistan chase down the target in the last over with a wicket to spare to clinch a thrilling win.

Asia Cup 2016 - India thrash Pakistan by 5 wickets

The 2016 edition of the Asia Cup saw India and Pakistan meet for the first time in the T20 format in the tournament. An exceptional bowling effort from India saw MS Dhoni &amp; Co. bundle out Pakistan for a paltry 83 runs inside 18 overs. India then chased down the target comfortably with 4.3 overs to spare and won the game by 5 wickets.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-is-still-one-of-the-best-babar-azam-backs-under-fire-india-superstar-ahead-of-asia-cup-meeting-510826">Virat Kohli is still one of the best: Babar Azam backs under-fire India superstar ahead of Asia Cup meeting</a>

Asia Cup 2018 - India beat Pakistan by 8 wickets

India registered yet another dominant win over Pakistan in their first meeting with the arch-rivals in Asia Cup 2018. Indian pacers ran riot to skittle out Pakistan for 162 runs in 43.1 overs before half-centuries from openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan sealed a comfortable 8-wicket win for the Men in Blue.

Asia Cup 2018 - India beat Pakistan by 9 wickets

India met Pakistan for the second time during the Super Four stage in Asia Cup 2018 where Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. defeated the Men in Green once againby nine wickets. India restricted Pakistan on 237/7 before Rohit and Dhawan slammed centuries apiece to propel India to a big win.

The biggest rivalry in cricket is set to resume as India and Pakistan take on each other in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022. The arch-rivals will lock horns in their tournament opener at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on August 28 (Sunday).

The biggest rivalry in cricket is set to resume as India and Pakistan take on each other in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022. The arch-rivals will lock horns in their tournament opener at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on August 28 (Sunday). This will be the first meeting between the two teams in ten months. Pakistan got the better of India when the two teams last met at the T20 World Cup last where Shaheen Afridi's sensational spell followed by two brilliant half-centuries from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan helped Pakistan register a thumping ten-wicket win against the Men in Blue. While not much has changed for Pakistan since then, India have undergone a massive transformation under captain Rohit Sharma. With a young bowling attack and in-form middle-order, India would be hoping to continue their stellar run under Rohit in the Asia Cup. India are yet to lose a T20I series since Rohit took charge as permanent captain last year. When it comes to the head-to-head record between the two teams in the Asia Cup, India enjoy an advantage with eight wins in a total of 15 meetings. Pakistan have won five matches against the Men in Blue while two games ended in a tie. India are the most successful team in Asia Cup history with seven titles while Pakistan have managed only two titles so far. Also Read: A look at winners of last eight editions of Asia Cup Here is a look at the results of the last five meetings between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup: Asia Cup 2012 - India beat Pakistan by 6 wickets MS Dhoni-led India defeated Pakistan by six wickets in their clash at the Asia Cup 2012. Batting first, Pakistan rode on centuries from openers Mohammad Hafeez (105) and Nasir Jamshed (112) to post a big total of 329 runs on the board. However, Virat Kohli single-handedly won India the game with a stunning knock of 183 runs. Asia Cup 2014 - Pakistan beat India by 1 wicket It was a thrilling showdown between the two arch-rivals in Asia Cup 2014 where Pakistan got the better of India by one wicket. Half-centuries from Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja propelled India to a total of 245 runs. However, Pakistan chase down the target in the last over with a wicket to spare to clinch a thrilling win. Asia Cup 2016 - India thrash Pakistan by 5 wickets The 2016 edition of the Asia Cup saw India and Pakistan meet for the first time in the T20 format in the tournament. An exceptional bowling effort from India saw MS Dhoni & Co. bundle out Pakistan for a paltry 83 runs inside 18 overs. India then chased down the target comfortably with 4.3 overs to spare and won the game by 5 wickets. Also Read: Virat Kohli is still one of the best: Babar Azam backs under-fire India superstar ahead of Asia Cup meeting Asia Cup 2018 - India beat Pakistan by 8 wickets India registered yet another dominant win over Pakistan in their first meeting with the arch-rivals in Asia Cup 2018. Indian pacers ran riot to skittle out Pakistan for 162 runs in 43.1 overs before half-centuries from openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan sealed a comfortable 8-wicket win for the Men in Blue. Asia Cup 2018 - India beat Pakistan by 9 wickets India met Pakistan for the second time during the Super Four stage in Asia Cup 2018 where Rohit Sharma & Co. defeated the Men in Green once againby nine wickets. India restricted Pakistan on 237/7 before Rohit and Dhawan slammed centuries apiece to propel India to a big win.

India vs Pakistan: A look at results of last five meetings between the arch-rivals in Asia Cup

India captain Rohit Sharma has played down the hype surrounding the much-awaited clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022. Rohit said he will treat the high-profile encounter as just another game and won't stress too much about India's 10-wicket defeat against Pakistan in the last meeting between the two sides at the T20 World Cup 2021&nbsp;in a lop-sided clash in Dubai. 
 
India and Pakistan are set to renew their rivalry at the same venue in the Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28).

India and Pakistan share one of the greatest rivalries in cricket and there is a significant buzz surrounding the clash on Sunday. Millions of fans around the globe are likely to remain glued to their TV screens when the two giants take on each other in what promises to be a cracker.

However, Indian skipper Rohit wants to treat it as just another game.&nbsp;"The mood in the camp is buzzing. It is a fresh tournament. New start. No point thinking about the loss. We need not think what happened in the past. We also want to move in the forward direction. It is always challenging to play Pakistan but what is important for us is what we want to achieve together than thinking about the opposition," Rohit said in the pre-match&nbsp;press conference on Saturday.

"You people can create the hype, I'll focus on the match," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-might-be-thinking-of-revenge-pakistan-head-coach-issues-warning-to-babar-co-ahead-of-india-clash-510801">'India might be thinking of revenge': Pakistan head coach issues warning to Babar &amp; Co. ahead of India clash</a>

Rohit had led India to a memorable triumph at the Asia Cup in 2018. He was serving as the stand-in captain of the team back then in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli. However, Rohit is now the permanent skipper and will be looking to make a mark against Pakistan on Sunday.

India are missing fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel during this&nbsp;tournament, but the Pakistan clash will mark the return of Virat Kohli after a short break. The batting maestro has been under fire over his lean patch with the willow and will be hopeful of sparking a turnaround against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-pakistan-asia-cup-2022-date-match-time-predicted-playing-xis-and-live-streaming-details-510711">India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2022: Date, match time, predicted playing XIs and live streaming details</a>

In what is a huge relief for the Indian batters, Pakistan are missing the services of left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who had wreaked havoc on the Men in Blue in their last meeting. The Indian batters will be looking to capitalise on Afridi's absence&nbsp;and take the Pakistan bowling attack to the cleaners.

India captain Rohit Sharma has played down the hype surrounding the much-awaited clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022. Rohit said he will treat the high-profile encounter as just another game and won't stress too much about India's 10-wicket defeat against Pakistan in the last meeting between the two sides at the T20 World Cup 2021 in a lop-sided clash in Dubai.

India captain Rohit Sharma has played down the hype surrounding the much-awaited clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022. Rohit said he will treat the high-profile encounter as just another game and won't stress too much about India's 10-wicket defeat against Pakistan in the last meeting between the two sides at the T20 World Cup 2021 in a lop-sided clash in Dubai. India and Pakistan are set to renew their rivalry at the same venue in the Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (August 28). India and Pakistan share one of the greatest rivalries in cricket and there is a significant buzz surrounding the clash on Sunday. Millions of fans around the globe are likely to remain glued to their TV screens when the two giants take on each other in what promises to be a cracker. However, Indian skipper Rohit wants to treat it as just another game. "The mood in the camp is buzzing. It is a fresh tournament. New start. No point thinking about the loss. We need not think what happened in the past. We also want to move in the forward direction. It is always challenging to play Pakistan but what is important for us is what we want to achieve together than thinking about the opposition," Rohit said in the pre-match press conference on Saturday. "You people can create the hype, I'll focus on the match," he added. Also Read: 'India might be thinking of revenge': Pakistan head coach issues warning to Babar & Co. ahead of India clash Rohit had led India to a memorable triumph at the Asia Cup in 2018. He was serving as the stand-in captain of the team back then in the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli. However, Rohit is now the permanent skipper and will be looking to make a mark against Pakistan on Sunday. India are missing fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel during this tournament, but the Pakistan clash will mark the return of Virat Kohli after a short break. The batting maestro has been under fire over his lean patch with the willow and will be hopeful of sparking a turnaround against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Also Read: India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2022: Date, match time, predicted playing XIs and live streaming details In what is a huge relief for the Indian batters, Pakistan are missing the services of left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who had wreaked havoc on the Men in Blue in their last meeting. The Indian batters will be looking to capitalise on Afridi's absence and take the Pakistan bowling attack to the cleaners.

You can create the hype, I will focus on the match: Rohit Sharma ahead of high-pressure Pakistan clash

asia-cup-2022

Asia Cup 2022, News on Asia Cup 2022, stories on Asia Cup 2022, articles on Asia Cup 2022, Asia Cup 2022 stories at Wion, Asia Cup 2022 news, Asia Cup 2022 latest news

asia cup-2022