Will rain spoil blockbuster India-Pakistan clash?

India-Pakistan affairs always turn out to be exhilarating, with fans, and even neutrals, eagerly waiting for the two giants of cricket to go head to head.

The arch-rivals, who only meet during world events thanks to the sour political relations between the two neighbouring nations, are set to meet in their Asia Cup group game in Pallekele today. The game is scheduled to start at 3:30pm [Bangladesh Standard Time]. 

However, all the excitement from cricket fans around the globe regarding the highly-anticipated clash could well be spoiled by rain today.    

According to Google Weather, rain could play spoilsport in India's Asia Cup opener. There is a 56-78 percent chance of rain during the game, and strong cloud cover is expected throughout the day. Temperature is predicted to be around 25 degrees Celsius, with 92 percent humidity in the starting stages of the match. There could also be 68 percent precipitation an hour before the match, so we could see a wet outfield.   

Pakistan, who thrashed Asia Cup debutants Nepal in the first game by 238 runs, will feature the same starting XI today. All three frontline pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf will play, making the game once again a mouth-watering event for fans who want to see India's world-class batters up against the pace threat of Pakistan. 

India skipper Rohit Sharma, however, said that they will bank on "experience" to tackle Pakistan quicks in their first game of the six-nation tournament. 

But for all these to come to fruition, the gates of the heavens need to stay closed in Pallekele -- just what the cricket fans will be praying for today.