Rohit Sharma’s India is set to face Babar Azam’s Pakistan in a highly anticipated league stage match of the 2024 T20 World Cup. The encounter will take place at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, kicking off at 8:00 PM IST. This marquee clash is expected to be one of the most-watched fixtures of the tournament, given the historic rivalry between the two teams. India enters this game with confidence, having secured a comprehensive win over Ireland in their first match.
The Men in Blue bowled out the Irish side for a mere 96 runs and chased down the target in just 12.2 overs. One of the standout performances came from vice-captain Hardik Pandya, who delivered a stellar spell, taking three wickets in his four overs. However, India has an injury concern with their captain Rohit Sharma. During a net session two days before the match, Rohit was struck on the hand.
The team is hopeful he will be fit for this crucial game, as he had to retire hurt during the match against Ireland after being hit on the same hand. On the other side, Pakistan comes into the match after a surprising defeat to the USA. In that game, Pakistan posted a total of 159, and the match went into a Super Over. Unfortunately for Pakistan, Mohammad Amir conceded 18 runs in the Super Over, leading to their loss as their batters failed to chase down the target.
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Pakistan might also miss the services of star all-rounder Imad Wasim, who sat out the previous game due to a side strain. A win for India in this match would almost guarantee them a top-two finish in the points table, securing their place in the Super 8 stage. They are scheduled to face Canada and the USA after the Pakistan fixture. Conversely, a defeat for Pakistan could jeopardize their chances of advancing to the Super 8 stage.
Currently, the USA tops the Group A points table with two wins from as many matches. India is in second place with one win, followed by Canada. Pakistan and Ireland hold the fourth and fifth spots, respectively. Historically, India leads the head-to-head record against Pakistan in T20 World Cup matches, with six wins out of seven encounters. Notably, the last five T20 World Cup games between these two teams have been won by the team chasing.
India
The Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid duo is likely to stick with their current four-pronged pace attack for the upcoming match. However, they might consider the possibility of bringing in Kuldeep Yadav, who boasts an impressive record against Pakistan, in place of Axar Patel, though this remains an unlikely move.
Both Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam have well-documented struggles against left-arm spin. Rizwan strikes at 116 and Babar at 107.2 against left-arm spinners, having lost their wickets to them 7 and 6 times respectively in T20Is. This could tempt India to utilize Axar Patel with the new ball, aiming for an early breakthrough.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj
Pakistan
Adding to the strategic depth, Coach Gary Kirsten, who recently spent time in India, understands the Indian players thoroughly. His insights could prove invaluable for Pakistan, especially as they seek to rebound from their unexpected loss to the USA. Kirsten’s ability to motivate teams will be crucial as Pakistan looks to overcome their arch-rivals.
There are also internal considerations for Pakistan. Despite being a key player, Shadab Khan’s position might be under review given the wicket’s lack of support for spinners. To bolster their batting lineup, Pakistan might consider bringing in top-order batsman Saim Ayub.
Probable XI: Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan/Saim Ayub, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf
Fantasy XI Suggestion 1:
Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Hardik Pandya (vc), Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammed Amir
Fantasy XI Suggestion 2:
Mohammad Rizwan, Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli (c), Babar Azam (vc), Suryakumar Yadav, Fakhar Zaman, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Shadab Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Shaheen Afridi
