As a result of the rain delaying the third match of the Asia Cup on Saturday at the Pallekele Stadium, Pakistan has qualified for the Super 4.
The lack of a winner in the game dashed the dreams of the supporters. However, the weather interfered, giving Pakistan and India a point each.
Pakistan currently has three points, but India must defeat Nepal in their subsequent match on September 4 (Monday) in order to advance to the Super Four stages.
Pakistan did not get the opportunity to chase the equation of 267 runs due to the rainfall.
At the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, Hardik Pandya's brilliant 90-ball 87 and Ishan Kishan's brilliant 81-ball 82 propelled India to 266 in the third match of the Asia Cup.
The contest had been stopped by rain when the thriller between the two sides started. Pakistan, though, was outplaying India in the bowl. India was behind by four at one point. The finishing blow was delivered by Shaheen Shah Afridi against the Indian heavyweights Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma.
But Kishan and Pandya showed great resilience and helped their side post a challenging total for Pakistan on the placid track. On the other side, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf were absolutely lethal with the leather and bundled out India for 266, with seven balls to spare.
Pandya and Kishan racked up a 138-run partnership off just 141 to rebound their team. For India, Rohit Sharma (11), Shubman Gill (10), Virat Kohli (4), Shreyas Iyer (14), Ravindra Jadeja (14), Shardul Thakur (3), Kuldeep Yadav (4), and Jasprit Bumrah (16) failed to show any significant resistance with the bat.
Pakistan's bowling department was ably spearheaded by Shaheen Shah Afridi (4-35), who gave the Indian batters no room whatsoever and bagged four wickets.
Naseem Shah (3-36) and Haris Rauf (3-58) picked up three wickets apiece. There was nothing special for the spinners, as none of them managed to pick up a wicket. Shadab Khan (0-57), Mohammad Nawaz (0-55), and Agha Salman (0-21) remained wicketless.
In a rivalry steeped in history and emotions, the capricious weather is playing an unexpected role in shaping the narrative of this crucial encounter.