Asia Cup 2022, IND vs PAK, Super Four: Preview
India face old-foe Pakistan in Sunday's Super Four clash in the Asia Cup 2022. The Men in Blue handed them a five-wicket defeat in the Group stage. India will have to deliver a solid show in a bid to stay unbeaten in the tournament. Meanwhile, Pakistan would look to build on the emphatic 155-run win over Hong Kong. Here is the preview.
Pitch report, timing, and TV listing
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium will host the affair. The wicket has assisted the pacers so far, while the batters need to be patient. Chasing sides have won 42 of 78 T20Is played here. Meanwhile, the average first-innings score here is 142. The match will be telecast live on Star Sports Network (7:30 PM IST) and live-streamed on the Hotstar app (paid subscription).
India beat Pakistan in the group stage
Indian pacers kept Pakistan on the backfoot after skipper Rohit Sharma elected to field. Bhuvneshwar drew first blood for India in the third over, getting rid of the in-form Babar. Pakistan crawled their way to 147 (19.5). India lost KL Rahul quite early before Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli added 50 runs. After their departure, Jadeja (35) and Pandya (33*) drove India to victory.
Here's the head-to-head record in T20Is
India have a win-loss record of 9-5 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup (ODIs and T20Is). The Men in Blue are unbeaten against them in the last four matches. In T20Is, India own an 8-2 lead over the Men in Green.
India aim to stay unbeaten in Asia Cup 2022
India are the favorite for this encounter. However, the top-order trio needs to deliver as a whole. Virat Kohli will be hoping to bash yet another match-winning total. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul need to fire all cylinders. Suryakumar Yadav's rip-roaring form makes him a must-see campaigner. Veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar remains a threat in the powerplay, while Arshdeep Singh holds impetus in the death-overs.
Jadeja ruled out; Axar joins Team India
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been ruled out for the entirety of the Asia Cup. He suffered a right knee injury, and as a result, Axar Patel, who was India's stand-by player for the tourney, has replaced him in the mix.
Babar's form a sign of concern for Pakistan
Mohammad Rizwan has been the bulk scorer for Pakistan in the tourney, having slammed 43 and 78*. Fakhar Zaman returned to scoring ways with a crisp 53 in the last game. It's high time Babar Azam delivers the goods. His sluggish approach isn't helping either. Pacer Naseem Shah has been a class act. Spinners Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz hold important roles.
A look at the probable XI of both sides
India (probable XI): Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh. Pakistan (probable XI): Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani.
Who are the key performers?
Suryakumar Yadav has hammered 758 T20I runs while striking at 177.51 (100s: 1, 50s: 6). Mohammad Rizwan has accumulated 965 T20 runs in 2022, averaging 60.31. Babar Azam has slammed 2,705 T20I runs, averaging 44.34 (100s: 1, 50s: 26). Versus Pakistan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has claimed nine scalps at 14.11. Fakhar Zaman has belted 654 runs in T20s in 2022 (SR 148.29).
Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Options
Fantasy XI (option 1): Mohammad Rizwan (vc), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Hardik Pandya, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (c), Arshdeep Singh, Naseem Shah. Fantasy XI (option 2): Mohammad Rizwan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav (c), KL Rahul, Fakhar Zaman (vc), Hardik Pandya, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Naseem Shah.
