IND vs PAK Player Battle, India vs Pakistan Key Player Battle for Asia Cup 2023, Asia Cup 2023 IND vs PAK Player Battle, India vs Pakistan Match Asia Cup 2023, Ifthikar Ahmed vs Kuldeep Yadav Player Battle, Rohit Sharma vs Shaheen Shah Afridi/Naseem Shah Player Battle, India vs Pakistan Key Player Battle For Asia Cup 2023 Match 3.
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It is that time of the World Cup year when Pakistan will meet India in an Asia Cup game. The sides met twice in the previous edition last year albeit in a different format. Both the sides won one game apiece in the tournament in 2022. There was very little to separate both the teams which made the matches highly entertaining. The undercurrent will be unmissable as it has become a norm with every Pakistan-India game.
Pakistan who won quite comfortably against Nepal at home will travel to Sri Lanka to face India. The Indian team will kickstart their campaign against the arch rivals. They couldn’t have asked for a challenging assignment than this to start their tournament.
Can Pakistan continue flying high?
Pakistan brushed aside Nepal in a clinical fashion. They were solid with both bat and the ball. Just when it seemed they are put under pressure, their players delivered in some style to reaffirm the gap between them and the associate nation. Pakistan’s next challenge though will be a slightly tougher as they front up against India. They have lost 4 out of the last 5 games against India in this format.
But Pakistan seems to be a different unit this time around with match winners spewed across the playing XI. They will look to top the group stage defeating India. If they do end up getting the better of India it will be a huge morale victory ahead of the World Cup.
India’s concerns heading into the game?
The team combination continues to be a talking point for India. KL Rahul’s absence in the first two games mean that India have to rejig their batting order. It will be interesting to see whether they accommodate Ishan Kishan at the top along with Rohit Sharma/Shubman Gill or play him in the middle order.
India lack quality left-hand options which might hamper their ability to attack Pakistan’s swing and spin. The other point of discussion will be the number 8 slot. Will India continue to trust Shardul Thakur or will they play Axar Patel. Both the players are sixth-bowling options and that makes India’s life difficult.
We look at the IND vs PAK Player Battle:
#1 Ifthikar Ahmed vs Kuldeep Yadav
He has been Pakistan’s most aggressive player against spin in the recent past. It was Iftikhar Ahmed who went on the offensive against Indian spinners in the T20 World Cup last year. He showed no mercy in the first game against Nepal. Ahmed will look to do more of the same in the India match. He though will have a different challenge in the form of Kuldeep Yadav. The left-arm chinaman is India’s main wicket-taker in the middle overs. It will be interesting to see how he copes up against a rampaging Ahmed.
#2 Rohit Sharma vs Shaheen Shah Afridi/Naseem Shah
It was the genius of Shaheen Shah Afridi that reignited the famous rivalry between the two sides. His fast left-arm swing caught Rohit Sharma completely unaware. The Indian captain will be wary of the threat that Afridi possesses. Pakistan will fret over the injury that Afridi might be carrying post the first game. But they have an able new ball bowler, Naseem Shah who can continue to exert pressure. This powerplay battle may well decide the game’s outcome.
