Bilateral cricket series have not been held recently due to the political difficulties that have existed for a long time between Pakistan (PAK) and India (IND). Still, the rivalry between these two countries is regarded as one of the best in the sport. They will play each other again on June 9 at the brand-new Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York as part of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup.
The Men in Blue defeated Ireland by eight wickets at the same location to start their campaign on a positive note. Conversely, the Babar Azam-led team recently lost a Super Over match at Dallas’ Grand Prairie Stadium against co-host USA.
India has dominated the rivalry in their head-to-head T20 World Cup encounters, winning six of the seven contests between the two sides. The 2021 edition, which was held in Dubai, was Pakistan’s only triumph. These two haven’t played in a T20I match in the past two years; India prevailed by four wickets in the 2022 edition of the major tournament.
3 crucial encounters in the India-Pakistan match to be aware of are as follows:
1. Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam
Cricket enthusiasts and specialists alike frequently compare and discuss Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, two of the game’s modern greats. Some argue that Babar should be included because of his outstanding statistics and developing reputation, while others feel that Kohli is the better batter because of his significant innings and reliable performances. With their respective performances, they have both played a significant role in the success of their teams.
With an astounding average of 51.11 and a strike rate of 137.95 in 118 Twenty20 international matches, Kohli has amassed 4038 runs. The 35-year-old has achieved one hundred and thirty-seven half-centuries in this style. Even though Babar has played in 119 games, his figures are still impressive because he has hammered 4023 runs at an average of 41.05 and a strike rate of 130.15. The Pakistani captain has scored three centuries and thirty-six half-centuries.
But when it comes to entertaining India-Pakistan encounters, Kohli has the advantage—in ten games, the former captain of India has amassed 488 runs. In the 2022 Australia World Cup, he scored his highest innings of 82*. However, Babar has found it difficult to return to his typical level of play against India, managing just 92 runs in four matches. In the 2021 edition, which Pakistan won, he scored his greatest innings of 68* against the Men in Blue.
2. Jasprit Bumrah vs Shaheen Afridi
Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi have established themselves as bowling superstars in Twenty20 cricket, a sport where batsmen sometimes take front stage. While Shaheen’s lightning-fast pace, swing, and yorkers have challenged even the best hitters, Bumrah’s accurate yorkers, variations, and angled deliveries have made him a nightmare for batters to confront.
These two have a plethora of experience from multiple T20I matches and franchise cricket, and they have shown themselves to be capable under pressure. Bumrah has amassed an outstanding 76 wickets at an average of 19.22 in 63 T20I appearances. However, Shaheen has an average of 20.36 and has claimed 91 wickets in 66 matches. The tall left-arm pacer in the IND versus PAK contests has claimed three wickets in two games, while the Indian pacer has claimed just two in three. Shaheen claimed all three of his wickets in the 2021 edition, defeating Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rohit Sharma to win Player of the Match.
3. Suryakumar Yadav vs Mohammad Rizwan
In the batting lineups of their respective teams, Mohammad Rizwan and Suryakumar Yadav are both essential pieces. Yadav’s performance in the 2022 edition, where he hit 239 runs, demonstrated how his improvisational skills had changed the game for India. The 33-year-old is presently regarded as the top batter by the ICC.
However, Rizwan has been a reliable player for Pakistan, bringing consistency to the team and frequently scoring runs at the top of the order. With 3203 runs scored in 98 matches at a strike rate of 128.17, including 28 half-centuries and a century, Rizwan leads the head-to-head record. In the meantime, SKY, who has appeared in 61 games, has scored 214 runs with a strike percentage of 171.16. Thus far, the batter on the right side has amassed four centuries.
Rizwan has scored two half-centuries and 197 runs at an average of 65.67 and a strike rate of 123.12 in four innings during the IND vs. PAK matches. In the 2021 edition, Rizwan achieved the maximum score of 79*. Despite his general excellence, Yadav has struggled against the Men in Green, managing just 57 runs at an average of 14.25 in four innings.
India
