Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh expects star India player Virat Kohli to win his potential battle with talented Pakistan speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi in the World Cup 2023 clash between India and Pakistan. The Indian team will lock horns with Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, October 14. Notably, both sides have registered back-to-back wins to start their campaign in the tournament, with India having placed ahead on the points table due to their better net run rate.

While previewing the game on Star Sports, Singh said: “It is a good battle but I feel the sort of form Virat is in, he will win this battle. Shaheen pitches the ball extremely full and tries to get batters out lbw or bowled with the new ball. He has not left such a big impression in the last five to seven matches, if you include the Asia Cup and the World Cup. He needs the conditions. If the conditions are good, he becomes an excellent bowler but if the conditions are not in his favor, he is just a decent bowler.”

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However, Harbhajan Singh added that although Afridi is a good bowler, he does not possess skills like Wasim Akram yet as well. He also shared that he hopes Rohit Sharma wins his battle with the Pakistan left-arm seamer and hits him out at the beginning of the innings as well. Meanwhile, Sanjay Bangar opined on whether Virat Kohli bringing out something special for the encounter as well.

“Virat Kohli has had a good start to the World Cup. He had a match-winning partnership with KL Rahul in the first match. So he batted well. He wasn’t tested in the last match,” he added. “Rohit Sharma made the match so easy, so he didn’t have to do much on his home ground but he is in good rhythm for sure, and whenever he is in good rhythm, he tries that the phase goes very long and that is why he has so many achievements to his name.”