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Pakistan have been dealt a major blow ahead of their high-octane clash against India on Sunday (4 September). Their star pacer Shahnawaz Dahani has been ruled out of the match against India with a suspected side strain. Dahani suffered the injury while bowling in the match against Hong Kong on Friday. Notably, India and Pakistan take on each other in their first match of the Super 4 stage on Sunday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday gave an injury update and confirmed that Dahani will not be playing in the match against India. It further said that the medical team will make a decision on the pacer's further participation in the tournament based on the scan results.
"Shahnawaz Dahani will not be available for Sunday’s ACC T20 Asia Cup Super-4 match against India due to a suspected side strain. The injury happened while bowling in the match against Hong Kong in Sharjah on Friday," PCB said in its statement.
"As is the case with any suspected side strain injury, the medical team will monitor him for the next 48-72 hours, following which they will make decisions, including carrying out a scan and further participation in the tournament."
Who will replace Dahani?
Pakistan are already suffering due to Shaheen Afridi's non-participation in the Asia Cup 2022. They faced a defeat at the hands of India in their first group stage game. Now, as the two teams meet again on Sunday, it will be interesting to see who will replace Dahani in the playing XI. Either Muhammad Hassnain or Hasan Ali look like a possible replacement for Dahani.
Meanwhile, the Babar Azam-led team has two good pacers in Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf. They have also got two quality spinners in Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan.