Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli being dismissed early was the best thing that happened to India: Salman Butt

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has lauded the resurgence of the Indian team in the clash against Pakistan, acknowledging that the early dismissals of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had paved the way for India's young guns to shine. Notably, India and Pakistan's much-awaited clash in the Asia Cup 2023 was washed out on September 2 and both the teams were given one point each.

Pakistan's formidable bowling attack, led by Shaheen Afridi, wreaked havoc on India's top order as Rohit Sharma was sent back by a peach of a delivery by the former while Virat Kohli soon followed suit, falling victim to Shaheen's brilliance. With Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer also departing soon, India were in deep trouble.

However, in the face of adversity, the dynamic duo of Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya rose to the occasion, launching a spirited counter-attack with a flurry of boundaries. The partnership breathed life into India's innings and ultimately propelled them to a competitive total of 266.

“I was saying earlier that apart from 2-3 players, there's a lack of experience when it comes to such intense pressure games (in the Indian team). The best thing that happened to India today was that their main players (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) were dismissed early and that their youngsters steered a comeback. They took them to a respectable total,” said Butt on his official YouTube channel.

Despite the no result, Pakistan, under the leadership of captain Babar Azam, secured a spot in the Super 4 stage of the tournament, having previously triumphed over Nepal in their opening match by a thumping margin of 238 runs.

For India, the road ahead is clear but challenging. They now face a must-win encounter against Nepal in their final Group A match. In the opposite group, Bangladesh is battling to stay alive as a defeat against Afghanistan in their last group match will send them packing from the competition.