Since Pakistan vs India is restricted to only multi-nations events, matches between Pakistan and India, one of cricket’s fiercest and most iconic rivalries, have more eagerly anticipated. On Sunday (today) at the Dubai Cricket Stadium in UAE, one such clash is on the offer as Pakistan set to take on India in the T20 Asia Cup 2022.
Given the political situation between the neighbors, the two sides have not played a bilateral series since 2012 and Sunday’s match is the first time they meet since October last year. The last time they faced off in a Test series was 2007.
Matches between the two ignite great fervor but have also defused military tensions between the two nations, which have fought four wars since independence from the British rule in 1947.
Recently pictures and videos of Pakistan captain Babar Azam and India superstar Virat Kohli meeting on the sidelines of a practice session in Dubai went viral.
©️ meets ©️#AsiaCup2022 pic.twitter.com/OgnJZpM9B1
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 27, 2022
What are the captains saying?
Babar Azam (Pakistan): “No heat at all [between the two sides]. It’s normal and we have to adjust to everything as a professional. Every match is important for me and it is my responsibility as captain that I give my 100 percent. Injuries are part of the team. We have a good bench strength and we have a young battery of fast bowlers who have performed well and I have belief in them.”
Rohit Sharma (India): “The mood in the camp is buzzing. It will be a challenge to play against Pakistan without a doubt. We do talk about our losses, that’s how we improve as a team. That loss [in Dubai last year] did hurt us at that point, but I think it’s been a while since that game has been played. We learn from our mistakes. For now, it’s a fresh start for us and obviously, the team is coming out of playing a lot of T20 cricket. We will not think too much about what happened in October that was a long time back.”
The Asia Cup 2022 will feature six teams from the Asian continent divided into two groups. Pakistan is in Group A along with India and Hong Kong. Group B has the other three Asian teams — Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Following the group matches, two top teams from each group will qualify for the Super Four stage, which will begin on September 3.
The final between the top two teams of the Super Four will be played on September 11. The cricket action will continue in Dubai and Sharjah till the final on September 11.
Pakistan playing XI (probables): Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani.
India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
India vs Pakistan Head To Head In T20Is
Pakistan, India, ODI
Pakistan, India. (Photo: Twitter)
Matches Played: 9
India won: 7
Pakistan won: 2
India vs Pakistan Head To Head In Asia Cup
Matches Played -14
IND Won – 8
PAK Won – 5
STATS – T20
Total matches 74
Matches won batting first 34
Matches won bowling first 39
Average 1st Inns scores 142
Average 2nd Inns scores 124
Highest total recorded 211/3 (20 Ov) by SL vs PAK
Lowest total recorded 55/10 (14.2 Ov) by WI vs ENG
Highest score chased 183/5 (19.4 Ov) by AFG vs UAE
Lowest score defended 134/7 (20 Ov) by OMAN vs HK
