Asia Cup (Super Four), IND vs PAK: Key player battles
It's round two between India and Pakistan, this time in the Super Four stage of Asia Cup 2022. Both sides have stars lined up for the high-octane affair. India bested their rivals by five wickets in the Group stage, riding on Hardik Pandya's valiant 33*. The Babar Azam-led side will be looking to settle the scores in this fixture. We decode the player battles.
Babar Azam vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Babar Azam's shoddy run at the top has raised eyebrows. It's high time the talented batter cashes in the PP overs. On the other hand, India will expect a top-notch show from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The veteran seamer trumped Babar in the last affair. Being one of the most successful T20I bowlers in PP, Bhuvneshwar will be hoping to draw curtains to his stay.
Rohit Sharma vs Shadab Khan
Rohit Sharma has been struggling in T20Is this year. The format's leading run-getter will look to fend off his poor run with crunch numbers in the fixture. However, the Mumbaikar has been highly susceptible to spinners in 2022, averaging 16.60 with five dismissals. Ace leg-spinner Shadab Khan can pose a nuisance to Rohit, and more so, with the red-hot form up his sleeves.
KL Rahul vs Naseem Shah
Despite being a prolific T20 batter, KL Rahul has had bitter on-field moments since his international return. He hasn't found his touch, which is visible from his scores of 0(1) and 36(39) in the Asia Cup underway. Pakistan's Naseem Shah, who can bowl over 140kph and has looked ominous so far, can unsettle the former, as was the case in the last meet.
Khushdil Shah vs Arshdeep Singh
Pakistan can boast of a hard-hitter in Khushdil Shah to tackle the rival's death-over antics. The southpaw obliterated Hong Kong, having slammed a 15-ball 35* (6s: 5). He could be up against a noted death-overs specialist, Arshdeep Singh, who averages an astonishing 8.22 in this interval in T20Is. The left-arm quick has bowled 27 dot balls and will look to build pressure over Khushdil.
A look at other key battles
From Pakistan, Mohammad Rizwan has the hopes pinned to him from a scoring perspective. The Pakistan opener managed 43 and 78* in the last two games. He will have to shield himself from Bhuvneshwar and Arshdeep's initial spells. Yuzvendra Chahal's quota of overs needs to be handled with care. And Suryakumar Yadav's battle against an in-form spinner, Mohammad Nawaz, is a must-see.
