Before Pakistan's match against India in the Asia Cup, Rohit Sharma is prepared for the Shaheen Afridi challenge

 One of the two guaranteed blockbuster India-Pakistan matches will be delivered to world cricket in less than a week.

 The first match will take place at the Pallekele International Stadium in Sri Lanka during the 2023 Asia Cup. And the match's main talking point will be the competition between Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi and India's top order. There is no denying India's susceptibility to left-arm seamers. Mohammad Amir won the 2017 Champions Trophy, Trent Boult advanced to the World Cup semifinals in 2019, and Shahid Afridi won the 2021 T20 World Cup. India has thus secured their sole like-for-like substitute at the training camp in Alur in an effort to counter the towering left-arm seamer.

In preparation for the continental competition, which will be followed by the ODI World Cup at home, India hitters were grouped into pairs to bat in match simulations in a centre-wicket practise at the KSCA facility on Days 2 and 3. On Saturday, Aniket Choudhary, a tall left-arm bowler, was ordered to bowl at Rohit Sharma, who was batting alongside KL Rahul.

The 33-year-old has never represented India before, and while he may lack Afridi's talent for getting late movement, his appearance at the practise net will at least give India an idea of what the Pakistan pacer might be like.