India and Pakistan will face off once again in their campaign-opening match at the ICC T20 World Cup. The match will be played at the MCG Cricket Ground in East Melbourne, Australia. The match will start at 1:30 PM IST.
It’s time for another India Pakistan broiler where people in both the countries will be glued to their television sets. This tactical game of thrones promises to be an intense encounter with temperatures rising by the minute. This match has a huge significance for both the sides but India in particular will be looking to wipe out the bitter taste left by the 10-wicket loss in the Previous T20 World Cup.
With immense pressure to lead the side to victory at any cost, both sides need to tread carefully. The Pakistan Cricket Team’s fielding comes across as a weak link in their performance and they really will have to concentrate on not dropping catches if they expect to win this world championship. Leaving individual achievements aside, they must play together as a cohesive unit to turn things around.
On the other hand no doubt India have a solid batting line-up, but their bowling line-up certainly needs work. They have earlier been challenged by Pakistani players like Shaheen Afridi and crumbled, so the concern is real and needs to be taken seriously. All said and done, this doesn’t take away the excitement of seeing both the contestants on loggerheads. So take a deep breath, fasten your seat belts and get ready for a heart stopping clash.
Fantasy Stars for IND vs PAK
IND:
Rohit Sharma is a fantastically seasoned player who can play the square cut with precision through the off side, the glorious cover dive through the covers and can pull the ball exceptionally well through mid-wicket. Rohit has played 142 matches and scored 3737 runs with a batting average of 31.94 and a strike rate of 140.59 in his T20 International career so far.
KL Rahul is a very resilient player who plays the flick shot really well through the onside and amazing square drives through the off side. He is a good player of both spin and pace bowling. Rahul has played 66 matches, scored 2137 runs with a batting average of 39.57 and a strike rate of 140.40.
Virat Kohli has played 109 matches, scored 3712 runs with a batting average of 50.84 and a strike rate of 138.9. He can play imperious cover drive through the cover and beautiful flicks. Virat is a class part and truly a master craftsman who, if settled down, takes over the game and makes life difficult for the opposition.
PAK:
Babar Azam has played 92 T20 International matches, scored 3231 runs with a batting average of 43.66 and a strike rate of 129.65. He can play a classy square cut through backward point, lovely cover drives and a straight drive down the ground. He can also play accurate sweep shots through mid-wicket.
Mohammad Rizwan has played 73 T20 International matches and, he has scored 2460 runs, with a batting average of 52.34 and a strike rate of 128.5. Apart from his impressive cut shot all through the off side, he also plays a graceful cover drives and beautiful flick shots through the leg side.
Mohammad Nawaz has played 48 T20 International matches, scored 354 runs with a batting average of 18.63 and a strike rate of 136.15. Nawaz plays a brilliant backfoot punch through the offside and a good cut shot. He can also play a lovely pull shot through mid-wicket. He is more than handful with the ball; he can choke runs well in the middle overs.
Possible 11: IND
KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar kumar, Mohammed Shami,
Possible 11: PAK
Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan ,Fakhar Zaman, Asif Ali, Mohammad Wasim, Haider Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Khushdil Shah ,Iftikhar Ahmed, Muhammad Hasnain, Shaheen Afridi.
TFG Picks for India vs Pakistan