IND vs PAK: 3 Reasons Why Pakistan Can Beat India In ICC T20 World Cup 2022

IND vs PAK: 3 Reasons Why Pakistan Can Beat India In ICC T20 World Cup 2022. The venue of the 2022 T20I World Cup tournament in Australia. India will play their opening match of the T20I World Cup 2022 on October 23 against Pakistan at Melbourne Cricket Ground. India is part of group 2 in the tournament with teams like Pakistan, South Africa, and Bangladesh in their pool.

The last time the two teams met at the 2021 T20I World Cup, Pakistan had beaten India by 10 wickets in their Super 12 match in Dubai to register their first-ever win against their neighbours in World Cups. Babar Azam hit an unbeaten 68, while Mohammad Rizwan smashed an unbeaten 79. Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled a terrific spell of 3/31 with three prized scalps of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli.

The Pakistan Cricket Board announced the men’s squads for the 2022 T20 World Cup next month in Australia. While Babar Azam will lead the side, Shadab Khan will be his deputy-in-chief. Shaheen Shah Afridi has returned after missing out on the Asia Cup 2022 owing to injury. Naseem Shah, who made his T20I debut for Pakistan in Asia Cup has also been added to the squad for the World Cup.

The Pakistan squad for T20I World cup 2022 has a 15-member team which includes: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir.

Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani

IND vs PAK: 3 Reasons Why Pakistan Can Beat India In ICC T20 World Cup 2022

1. The recent form of the opening duo of Pakistan Skipper Babar Azam and Keeper Mohammad Rizwan

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been the pillars of Pakistan’s batting lineup for the last couple of years. They have been the most prolific opening pair in the international circuit of late as they have piled on 1897 runs in 37 innings averaging 54.2 batting together as openers.

The duo was the architects when the Men in Green thrashed India by 10 wickets in the last year’s World Cup and can again lead their team to victory. Moreover, Pakistan’s openers have been in a pristine touch of late. They were the top two run-getters in the recently culminated T20I series against England. Mohammad Rizwan amassed 316 in six games averaging 63.2 at a strike rate of 138.60 whereas Babar Azam aggregated 285 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 143.22.

Unlike the skipper, the wicket-keeper batter was quite sensational in the Asia Cup 2022 as well and scored the most runs- 281 in six games averaging 56.2. Mohammad Rizwan has been prolific against India too and has aggregated 193 runs in just three outings. He has gotten the better of the Indian bowling attack most of the time and with Babar Azam getting back amongst the runs, the veteran pair could snatch the game from India.

2. Pakistan’s Pace Bowling Arsenal

Pakistan’s pace attack proved too hot to handle when India faced them last at the 2021 T20I World Cup. Shaheen Shah Afridi was the wreaker in chief bagging three wickets for 31 runs. India still has found difficulty in dealing with left-arm seamers.

Tackling fit again Shaheen Shah Afridi would not be easy for the Men in Blue in the upcoming encounter. Pakistan also has Haris Rauf who has been on fire with the ball recently. He rattled England batters in the T20I series and took the most eight wickets in six games averaging 23.62 and at an economy of 7.67.

He was also the leading fast-bowler for Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022 taking eight scalps in six games. Babar Azam-led Pakistan also have in their arsenal Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain who are known to give batters a run for their money with their whizzing pace. With the 2022 T20I World Cup in Australia which is considered a pacer’s paradise, Pakistan’s seamers can be even more dangerous.

3. India’s death bowling woes in absence of Jasprit Bumrah And Out Of Form Bhuvneshwar Kumar And Harshal Patel

India have leaked loads and loads of runs at the fag end of the innings in the last few matches. Whether it is the veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar or the death overs specialists Harshal Patel and Arshdeep Singh, no one has been able to be effective at the end overs.

India’s bowling troubles resulted in defeat in the hands of Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the Asia Cup 2022, which saw India exit from super-4 stage. In the series against Australia and South Africa as well, the bowlers have let the opposition cross over 200 on three occasions in six matches.

Moreover, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s unavailability for the marquee event has compounded India’s troubles even further. This presents a golden chance for the Men in Green to win their second consecutive 2022 T20I World Cup game against arch-rivals. Their batters won the battle in the death overs at the Super four game of the Asian tournament and would again hold the edge against an out-of-form Indian bowling attack.