Asian Games 2023 Volleyball: India vs Pakistan preview, head-to-head, prediction, team news, and streaming details

The Indian men's volleyball team will face arch-rivals Pakistan in the fifth-place playoff at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, in a highly anticipated matchup. Both teams had proven their worth by winning their respective groups and even defeating higher-ranked opponents in the final 12 stages. Their quest for a medal, however, was cut short by quarter-final defeats.

In the quarter-finals, India, ranked 73rd in the world, put up a valiant fight against Japan, ranked fifth in the world, but were defeated 3-0. Indian players such as setter Muthusamy Appavu and middle blocker Ashwal Rai stood out, challenging Asia's top-ranked team. They were however unable to challenge Japan's dominance.

India had previously made a statement by defeating higher-ranked teams in their group matches, including Chinese Taipei, the 2018 silver medalists, the Republic of Korea, and Cambodia.

Pakistan, ranked 51st in the world, had a strong run in the tournament as well, winning without dropping a set against Chinese Taipei, South Korea, and Mongolia. However, they suffered a setback in the quarter-finals, falling 3-1 to Qatar.

In terms of Asian Games performance, the Indian men's volleyball team has won three medals, including a silver medal in 1962 and bronze medals in 1958 and 1986. Pakistan, on the other hand, only has one bronze medal from the 1962 Olympics.

In volleyball, India and Pakistan have a fierce rivalry, and Pakistan defeated India 3-1 in the 7-12 classification match at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. This adds to the excitement of their upcoming encounter.

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India vs Pakistan Match Details

Match Details: India vs Pakistan, Asian Games 2023

Date & Time: Tuesday, September 26th, 2023, at 4:00 PM IST.

Venue: Hangzhou, China

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India vs Pakistan: Head-to-head record

In the two recent matches between India and Pakistan, India has yet to secure a victory. India has a 0-2 head-to-head record, with one loss in the Asian Championship and another in the 2018 Asian Games. Based on previous encounters, Pakistan appears to have had the upper hand in recent clashes between the two teams.

Matches Played: 2

India wins: 0

Pakistan wins: 2

Draw: 0

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India vs Pakistan: Full Squads

India

Amit, Vinit Kumar, S Ammarambath, Muthusamy Appavu, Hari Prasad, Rohit Kumar, Manoj Lakshmipuram Manjunatha, U Mohan, Ashwal Rai, Santhosh Sahaya Anthoni Raj, Guru Prasanth Subramanian Venkatasubbu, Erin Varghese

Pakistan

Aimal Khan, Mubashir Raza, Murad Jehan Bannuzai, Murad Khan, Bilal Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Usman Faryad, Kashif Naveed, Mazhar Ali, Abdullah Abdullah, Afaq Khan, Muhammad Zaheer, Muhammad Hamad, Hamid Yazman, Ahmed Nazir, Nasir Ali.

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India vs Pakistan: Predicted Lineups

India

Muthusamy Appavu, Rohit Kumar, Hari Prasad, Ashwal Rai, Manoj Lakshmipuram Manjunatha, S Ammarambath

Pakistan

Aimal Khan, Bilal Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Mazhar Ali, Abdullah Abdullah, Hamid Yazman

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India vs Pakistan Prediction

Although India is the favourite, Pakistan holds the head-to-head record. Because of this historical advantage, the match will be extremely competitive, with India holding a slight advantage.

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Where to watch India vs Pakistan volleyball match Asian Games 2023

The volleyball match between India and Pakistan at the Asian Games 2023 will be live streamed on SonyLiv. The volleyball match between India and Pakistan in Hangzhou will also be broadcast live on Sony Sports television channels in India.