If Pak bat 1st, they'll literally hammer India: Akhtar

If Pakistan wins the toss and bats first, India will be annihilated. However, if India wins the toss, Pakistan could be in trouble, as the wickets have not yet settled and the ball is not performing well under the lighting, Akhtar stated on his YouTube channel.

In addition, the 'Rawalpindi Express' provided his opinion regarding the probable bowling composition India should employ against Pakistan. Former pacer believes that at least three pacers should be utilized by the Men in Blue. In addition, Shoaib Akhtar exhorted the India captain to have faith in left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who could prove to be Team India's trump card against the archrivals.

In addition, the 48-year-old addressed the criticism of Babar Azam's questionable captaincy in the past, as some fans and experts believe that the captain frequently cracks under duress. Shoaib Akhtar has alternative viewpoints on Azam. The former gun pacer believes that Pakistan has played recently, so the Men in Green will not be under duress despite the noise from the outside world.

The captaincy of Babar Azam is the subject of ongoing debate. It was after he had given his spinner the final over a few times. However, I am confident that he would have learned and become better at calculations. Babar Azam and his group are highly developed. They have now confronted India in multiple high-pressure matches. I don't believe there will be much strain on them," concluded Akhtar. 

Your approach has to be clear against bowlers: Gautam Gambhir

Speaking on the subject, former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir opined that Indian batters should focus on attacking the opposition rather than merely attempting to endure. 

"Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, your strategy against Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah must be unambiguous. Consider scoring runs rather than surviving. "When you score runs, your rhythm, backlift, and footwork improve," Gambhir stated on Star Sports' Game Plan.

Asia Cup is not just between India-Pakistan- Rohit Sharma

"We shouldn't state that India and Pakistan are the only teams competing in the Asia Cup; there are other teams as well. Sri Lanka won the tournament last year by playing excellent cricket. Therefore, we cannot exclude anyone from winning the Asia Cup. In an interview with Vimal Kumar on YouTube, Rohit stated, "It's never about one team; we'll have to focus on all of the participants."

In the previous rendition of the Asia Cup in 2022, India and Pakistan met twice. While the Men in Blue won the match in the group stage, it was Pakistan's victory in the Super Four that propelled them to the ACC championship match. 

Rohit stated, in response to a question about India's preparation for the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup, that the team is completely committed to the ACC tournament because they need to check a few boxes before the premier ICC event.

"This is an excellent tournament that will test your ability to perform under pressure. I view it as a worthy competition leading up to the ODI World Cup. We'll need a few answers and to check a few items before we can play this tournament. Our primary objective is to perform well in the Asia Cup, followed by the remaining World Cup contests," he added.

I would say India start as favourite but Pakistan have narrowed the gap-Ravi Shastri

"I'd say India starts as the favorite. This roster of players is their strongest since 2011; they haven't been this formidable since then. And an experienced captain who comprehends the terrain better than most. Despite this, Pakistan have closed the gap. Seven-eight years ago, there was a disparity between the two teams' individual strength. Pakistan, however, have narrowed it down. Shastri was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying, "They're a very good team, so you have to be on top of your game."

"It depends on who handles stress best. And never go by form before an India-Pakistan match, because the tough-minded, mentally strong players may not have done much in the previous six months, but they will come to the fore in the India-Pakistan match. They are aware of the significance of this game and where it can propel them if they perform well. Their appetites will be stimulated," the 61-year-old said.

‘Unique bowlers require unique plans’-Matthew Hayden

"India is facing Pakistan's speedy triumvirate. I can assure you that this is one of the most intense competitions on the planet. Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem are on our team. Three distinct categories of bowlers necessitate individualized strategies from Team India. Firstly, the conditions in Kandy tend to have quite a bit of rebound, so Haris Rauf must be especially cautious. He will need to rush in and strike the top of the off stump, according to Hayden on Star Sports.

"You must be conservative when facing Shaheen Afridi. Consider the most recent World Cup; Shaheen was able to secure early wickets. We'll never forget the ball he bowled to captain Rohit Sharma, so we should approach Shaheen Afridi with some caution. If the ball is swinging, you should try to play out the first three overs," he added.