India and Pakistan, the arch-rival are set to lock horns in their first game of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. The much-awaited and most hyped clash is set to begin on October 23 at 1:30 PM IST (Indian Standard Time) and at 1:00 PM Pakistan time.
ICC T20 World Cup 2022’s super 12 stages will begin on October 22 with the finalists of the T20 WC 2021, Australia and New Zealand playing the first game at Sydney Cricket Ground. The game between India and Pakistan will be held at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Team India has a very good record against Pakistan in the T20 WC clashes. Last year, it was the first time that Pakistan have beaten Team India in the ICC T20 World Cup. Otherwise, India has won all the other games. In total, India and Pakistan have played 6 games in the ICC T20 World Cup. Out of which, India has won 5 games and Pakistan has managed to win one game which was last year in UAE.
Pakistan chased down a target of 150+ easily without losing any wickets. Captain B Azam and M Rizwan scored the fifties in that game.
We can only see India-Pakistan clash in the ICC tournaments and in the Asia Cup. Recently, in the Asia Cup 2022, India and Pakistan played two games. Both have managed to win one game each in that tournament. India won the first game in the first round. And Pakistan won the next game in the super 4 stages.
Let’s talk about the strengths and weaknesses of both teams, Match Prediction, Weather reports, etc
India’s Strength (ICC T20 World Cup 2022)
Team India has a very good batting lineup with Captain R Sharma and KL Rahul at the top. V Kohli is back in form and will be crucial in the high-pressure game.
SK Yadav is one of the best T20 batters in the world right now. And the way he is playing is eye-catching. H Pandya is also finishing games for the team and D Karthik is playing his role as a finisher very well.
So Team India will rely on their batting in the high-pressure clash against Pakistan.
Pakistan’s strength (ICC T20 World Cup 2022)
With Shaheen Shah Afridi back in the team, their bowling unit looks complete is one of the best in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. The battle between India’s batting and Pakistan’s bowling will be interesting to see.
India’s weakness
Team India’s main pacer J Bumrah is ruled out of the tournament. With his exclusion, the team’s bowling looks less threatening. The bowlers need to work hard to restrict the Pakistan batting lineup in the absence of J Bumrah. Especially in the death overs.
Pakistan’s weakness
Pakistan has a very good opener in B Azam and M Rizwan. But their middle order is a bit of a concern for them.
Also, sometimes, B Azam and M Rizwan took too much time to take off. They need to check on their strike rates as it will create a pressure situation for the batters to come.
Players to watch out for (ICC T20 World Cup 2022)
India
V Kohli
The former Indian skipper is back in form. And his experience will be vital against Pakistan as there will be a lot of pressure in that clash. He scored a fifty last year in the T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE. And he will be eager to do it again. He has a very good record against Pakistan.
H Pandya
Pandya is one of the best all-rounders in T20 cricket right now. He gives the balance that is needed in the team. In the Asia Cup 2022’s first game, when the match was tense, he won it for Team India.
B Kumar
In the absence of J Bumrah, he will be the leader of the pack. He will use his experience in the game. And he will be important with the new ball.
Pakistan
B Azam
Captain B Azam is so consistent in this format. Indian bowlers will look to get him as early as possible. Otherwise, he has the ability to go big as we saw in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
Shaheen Shah Afridi
The Indian batter struggles against the left-arm seamer and is not hidden from anyone. And Shaheen is one of the best bowlers in the world right now. He will be important for Pakistan, especially with the new ball. He has the ability to swing the ball back which troubles batters all around the world.
Weather condition
The bad news is that there is 80% chance of rain in the India-Pakistan game on October 23. Let’s hope that the rain gods will stay away from this game. As the fans are waiting to watch the tussle between the two good teams.
India’s squad:
Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami
Reserves:
Mohammed Siraj, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Shardul Thakur
Pakistan’s squad:
Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood
Reserves:
Usman Qadir, Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani
Let’s see what happens in the game. Both teams are very strong and there are 50-50 chances of winning for both teams. Comment your predictions below.
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