SAFF Championship 2023: India vs Pakistan Live Updates

6:30 PM: Hello everyone and welcome to Khel Now’s LIVE COVERAGE of the India vs Pakistan match in the SAFF Championship 2023. The kick-off is just one hour away! I am your host Aishwarya Chakraborty and I’ll be keeping you company through what promises a fascinating evening of football. Please wait for 30 Seconds for the Live blog to load.

SAFF Championship 2023: India vs Pakistan - Build-up

After a successful Hero Intercontinental Cup Campaign where India emerged as the champions for a record second time, the focus now shifts to the 2023 SAFF Championship. From Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru, the Blue Tigers will be keen to hit the ground running and continue their momentum.

First up, the Blue Tigers will face off against arch rivals and neighbours Pakistan at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. Both sides will come up against each other after a very long time with the last fixture dating back to September 2018.

The Stakes - SAFF Championship 2023

India

The stakes for India are indeed very high. They come into the tournament on the back of a very good run of form which includes a successful Hero Intercontinental Cup campaign. The Blue Tigers will be looking to add more wins and goals to their tally but will have to be careful against the Pakistani Falcons.

Be it football or cricket, a match against Pakistan always unites the nation and is a must win no matter what. The Blue Tigers would want to improve their already good looking head-to-head matchup against Pakistan come Wednesday. Moreover, India will also look to defend their crown.

Pakistan

The scenario is not different for Pakistan either. It’s more than just about three points, it’s about fighting for pride and so much more. Although the Pakistani Falcons came into the tournament after a very disappointing 4-Nation Cup tournament in Mauritius where they ended up on the losing side in all three matches.

But, Pakistan have to find their reason to believe because despite their low ranking in comparison to India, they can harm the Blue Tigers. Expect them to be tough and give India an even tougher time on the pitch.

Injury & Team News

Ishan Pandita has left the national team setup due to an injury. Apart from him, India are expected to have a fully fit squad. And for Pakistan too, there are no injury concerns as such.

Head-to-Head

India has an upper hand in the head-to-head record against Pakistan.

Games played – 26

India wins – 13

Draws – 10

Pakistan wins – 3 (Source: 11v11.com)

Predicted Starting XI

India (4-2-3-1)

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Nikhil Poojary, Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Jeakson Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Sunil Chhetri, Naorem Mahesh Singh

Pakistan (4-4-2)

Yousuf Butt (GK), Mamoon Moosa Khan, Muhammad Sufyan Asif, Abdullah Iqbal, Ali Khan Niazi, Otis Khan, Ali UzairMahmood, Easah Suliman, Rahis Nabi, Harun Hamid, Hassan Bashir