Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Designed by: Manoj Kumar
The much-anticipated match of the ICC World Cup 2023 is finally here. India and Pakistan are set to clash today at the Narendra Modi International Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Both India and Pakistan have been clinical in the two matches that they played in the World Cup 2023 so far. While Rohit Sharma decimated Afghanistan single-handedly, Pakistan successfully chased an improbable target against Sri Lanka.
Rohit Sharma faced a challenging start to the World Cup against Australia when he was dismissed for a duck by Josh Hazlewood. However, he swiftly regained his form during the second game against Afghanistan in Delhi, scoring a remarkable 131 runs off 84 balls. Pakistan will look to scalp him early to make a match out of it.
Virat Kohli had a consistent start to the World Cup and appears to be in good form. He played a pivotal role in rescuing India against Australia when the top-order batting collapsed, scoring an exceptional 85 runs to lead India to victory. Against Afghanistan, he contributed a half-century and remained unbeaten. Pakistan will still be smarting from his imperious knock during T20 World Cup last year.
Jasprit Bumrah, returning from a lengthy injury, has demonstrated that he still maintains his unwavering form. He secured two wickets against Australia with an economy rate of 3.50 and came close to claiming a five-wicket haul against Afghanistan, taking four wickets. Bumrah is an exceptional bowler during the death overs and his performance could be the differentiating factor between both teams.
Kuldeep Yadav has maintained his consistency in both of India's opening matches. In both games, his economy rate remained between 4-4.20. He claimed three wickets against Australia and one against Afghanistan. A turning pitch in Ahmedabad could play to Yadav's strengths as a spin bowler.
Babar Azam is one of the key players on the Pakistani side. However, he has struggled to make an impression in the first two matches of the World Cup, scoring only 5 against the Netherlands and managing just 10 runs against Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, it's only a matter of time before the Pakistani captain regains his form and what better occasion than an high-octane India-Pakistan match.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammed Rizwan, similar to Virat Kohli, has had an outstanding start to the World Cup. He scored 68 runs against the Netherlands and led Pakistan to victory against Sri Lanka with an unbeaten 131, chasing a massive total of 345. Rizwan is a power hitter and can assist Pakistan's middle order in scoring crucial runs.
Shaheen Afridi had a less than ideal start to the World Cup but remains one of the most crucial pacers on the Pakistani side. He secured a single wicket in each of the matches against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. However, he is renowned for his fast bowling during both the early and death overs, which can slow down the opposition's run rate.
Saud Shakeel is a consistent middle-order batsman on the Pakistani side. He is known for his ability to build partnerships in the middle order. Shakeel scored 68 against the Netherlands in 52 balls and 31 against Sri Lanka in 30 balls.