First India-Pakistan match since conflict fires up Asia Cup

Pakistan will be without star players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, both dropped from the shortest format because of poor form. India won the previous Asia Cup, which was played in a 50-over format in 2023, when they beat hosts Sri Lanka in the final in Colombo. India are strong favourites to retain their crown. The five full members of the Asian Cricket Council -- Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka -- earned automatic qualification to the tournament. They are joined by Hong Kong, Oman and the UAE, teams that secured their spots by finishing in the top three of...