There is an opportunity of India and Pakistan taking part in one another as many as 3 times within the Asia Cup itself – first within the group stage, then within the Super Four stage and if all goes as petr cricket followers’ needs, once more within the summit conflict too. Then there’s the ICC ODI World Cup in India, beginning on October 5 in Ahmedabad, the place the 2 groups are once more in the identical group. Fans have a full menu this 12 months after an extended wait.
It will probably be a conflict of two extraordinarily proficient groups as World No.1 Pakistan tackle India, ranked third on the planet, on the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Here Timesofindia.com highlights the highest three participant battles which may have a huge impact on the end result of the upcoming matches between the arch-rivals India and Pakistan within the Asia Cup:
Virat Kohli vs Shaheen Shah Afridi
It’s a battle between one of many modern-day greats vs a quick bowling famous person who has firmly cemented his place as Pakistan’s tempo spearhead. One is a veteran of 275 ODIs and the opposite has performed 40 one-dayers up to now. And it is going to nicely outline the end result of the much-awaited conflict between the 2 arch-rivals.
After a protracted low of just about three years, batting maestro Virat Kohli is again to his best possible and has up to now scored 427 runs in 9 ODIs this 12 months @53.37, which incorporates two a whole bunch and a fifty. He is scoring at a powerful strike charge of 116.03 too – his highest ever in a calendar 12 months. And India will probably be taking a look at their run-machine once more to do the majority of the scoring in opposition to Pakistan.
Pakistan is among the solely two full member nations in opposition to whom Kohli has lower than a 50 batting common in his profession, the opposite being England. Kohli has confronted Pakistan solely 13 occasions in ODIs and scored 536 runs @48.72 with the assistance of two a whole bunch and two fifties. His profession’s highest ODI rating was additionally by the way scored in opposition to Pakistan – 183 within the 2012 Asia Cup. A confirmed run-scorer within the continental match, Kohli has scored 613 runs in 10 innings within the Asia Cup (ODIs) up to now, and will probably be searching for extra such exploits within the 2023 version.
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India vs Pakistan: Who has the sting within the Asia Cup conflict?
Left-arm pacer Afridi can be coming into the all-important Asia Cup match along with his tail up, having taken 16 wickets in simply 8 ODIs this 12 months. An spectacular common of 20.06 and an economic system charge of 5.04 reveals his effectiveness as a tall pacer. The 23-year outdated is among the fearsome pacers round lately and could be helpful in opposition to any batting line-up. He will probably be aiming for the prize wicket of Kohli within the upcoming blockbuster conflict.
The teenager has a terrific begin to his worldwide profession, taking 78 wickets in 39 ODI innings. He additionally has document within the Asia Cup – 6 wickets in 4 ODIs at a 25.66 common and an economic system charge below 5. Even although Afridi remained wicketless in opposition to India in the one ODI he has performed in opposition to the Men in Blue in 2018, Pakistan will probably be trying to the tall pacer to offer essential early breakthroughs for them.
ODI Records:
Virat Kohli: M 275 | I 265 | R 12898 | HS 183 | Ave. 57.32 | SR 93.62 | 46x100s | 65x50s
Shaheen Afridi: M 40 | I 39 | W 78 | BBI 6/35 | Ave. 23.08 | Econ. 5.42 | SR 25.5 | 2x5W
Rohit Sharma vs Haris Rauf
It’s one other battle between an ODI grasp vs a quick rising drive. This battle upfront within the innings, may have a huge impact on the end result of the competition.
For India skipper Rohit ‘Hitman’ Sharma, ODI is a format he has mastered. And if he’s not stopped early within the innings, Pakistan will certainly really feel the ache, and that is the place one of many quickest quick bowlers round, Haris Rauf can have a giant activity on his arms.
With three double centuries and a highest rating of 264 within the format, Rohit is a drive to reckon with. The India captain is in good type this 12 months too, having scored 383 runs in 9 ODIs @47.87 up to now, together with 100 and two fifties. He is a confirmed performer on the large stage and is among the top-scorers within the Asia Cup (ODIs), accumulating 745 runs @46.56 in 21 innings. Rohit additionally has a terrific document in opposition to Pakistan, scoring 720 runs in 16 innings at 51.42 common with the assistance of two a whole bunch and 6 fifties in ODIs.
Haris Rauf’s pace will probably be a problem for the Indian batting line-up as they have not confronted him in ODIs but. The pacer is a real wicket-taker and has up to now grabbed 46 wickets in 25 ODIs, and would look to proceed his good run in opposition to India too. He is in good type this 12 months, taking 17 wickets in 10 ODIs, together with his profession finest figures of 5/18 final month in opposition to Afghanistan. He made his Asia Cup debut within the match opener in opposition to Nepal this time and returned figures of two for 16 in 5 overs in Pakistan’s large 238-run win.
India will financial institution on Rohit to provide them begin to their innings, and Pakistan’s potent tempo assault together with Rauf will probably be trying to present their crew with early breakthroughs.
ODI Records:
Rohit Sharma: M 244 | I 237 | R 9837 | HS 264 | Ave. 48.69 | SR 89.97 | 30x100s | 48x50s
Haris Rauf: M 25 | I 25 | W 46 | BBI 5/18 | Ave. 25.76 | Econ. 5.72 | SR 26.6 | 1x5W
Jasprit Bumrah vs Babar Azam
It’s a battle of two match-winners. India’s tempo spearhead Jasprit Bumrah vs Pakistan’s batting mainstay and captain Babar Azam.
Bumrah will play his first ODI in additional than a 12 months when he faces the arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday. The pacer made a comeback to worldwide cricket after an extended harm layoff, captaining India in a T20I sequence final month vs Ireland, and took 4 wickets in 2 T20Is. He will probably be desperate to make a mark in opposition to Pakistan within the Asia Cup. He is a real wicket-taking bowler and has taken 121 wickets in 72 matches up to now. He had a terrific Asia Cup (ODIs) in 2018, taking 8 wickets at 16.00 common in 4 video games, and will probably be searching for an encore this time. Bumrah although has had a below-par document in opposition to Pakistan in ODIs, taking simply 4 wickets in 5 matches, and will probably be keen to repair these numbers this time round.
Babar is a prolific run-scorer in ODIs and has already scored greater than 5000 profession runs in 104 matches. He began his 2023 Asia Cup marketing campaign with an impressive 151 in opposition to Nepal within the match opener. It was his nineteenth ODI hundred. Babar has a below-par document in opposition to India although, having scored 158 runs @31.60 in 5 ODIs. Incredibly, he’s but to hit a fifty in opposition to India. Babar will probably be greater than keen to alter that document within the upcoming matches in opposition to the arch-rivals. He is a confirmed run-scorer within the Asia Cup, having already gathered 307 runs @51.16 in 6 video games up to now.
Bumrah will probably be trying to cease Pakistan’s run-machine Babar from scoring huge within the mega contest, whereas the Pakistan captain will probably be trying to make amends for his up to now below-par document in opposition to India. This battle has the potential to grow to be a very powerful and impactful one within the much-awaited conflict on Saturday.
ODI Records:
Jaspirt Bumrah: M 72 | I 72 | W 121 | BBI 6/19 | Ave. 24.30 | Econ. 4.63 | SR 31.4 | 2x5W
Babar Azam: M 104 | I 102 | R 5353 | HS 158 | Ave. 59.47 | SR 89.39 | 19x100s | 28x50s
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com