New Delhi: In the high-voltage clashes between India and Pakistan, there have always been some individual performances which stood out. Who can forget Virat’s 183 in the 2012 Asia Cup of Shaheen Shah Afridi’s 31/3 in the last T20 World Cup? With all the build and hype, the players seem ready to face the challenge.
Taking a look at the numbers, the current form and the training sessions, check 5 players to look out for:
1. Suryakumar Yadav
SKY is currently the best T20I batter that India has. He is ranked second in the ICC T20 Batter Rankings just after Babar Azam. His ability to play 360-degree shots makes him a dangerous player. He has a career strike rate of 175.45 and a number four or five in the lineup having such a high strike rate gives a lot of confidence to the team. This is his chance to prove himself in a big tournament.
2. Babar Azam
Even Virat Kohli agreed that currently, Babar Azam is the best batter in the world. He is in tremendous form across formats and can turn games in favour of Pakistan. In the only T20I that Pakistan has played this year, their captain scored 66 off 46 balls. For any opposition it is important to have a plan to stop him, otherwise what he can do could be seen in the last encounter between India and Pakistan.
3. Yuzvendra Chahal
In the last three T20I series, against South Africa, Ireland and England, he has picked 11 wickets in seven games. Chahal getting back into form is a good sign for India as he is the primary wicket-taking option for the team. The good news is that he has been better with the economy this year. Having a leg spinner with his level of skills and experience is great for any T20 side.
4. Virat Kohli
There have been a lot of talks about his form lately. Now, when he is back from the break and ready to play a big tournament, his runs would be crucial for India to lift the cup and go into the T20 World Cup with confidence. He batted well against England last year and went on to score 57 off 49 against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup. This year, he has not been great, but he will surely look forward to changing that.
5. Naseem Shah
Naseem is ready to make his T20I debut and what a stage to do so. He has been impressive in international cricket. In three ODIs played against the Netherlands, he took 10 wickets including a five-wicket haul. With what Fazalhaq Farooqi did against Sri Lanka, Pakistan will have high hopes with Naseem.
