Australia will host the eighth ICC Men’s T20 World Cup between October 16 and November 13. India will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening encounter of the World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, on Sunday, October 23. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has already revealed that the playing XI has been decided for the much-awaited match.
The mother of all battles between the two teams will be renewed after last month’s Asia Cup thrillers. The Babar Azam-led team is evenly matched against the Rohit Sharma-led team.
Pakistan Have Defeated India In Two Of Their Last Three Meetings – Salman Butt
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Salman Butt highlighted India’s recent defeats against Babar Azam’s team, which will be on their heads as they prepare to take on their arch-rivals in the World Cup.
“Pakistan have defeated India in two of their last three meetings. It will be at the back of India’s mind, so they won’t be complacent. They know they cannot take Pakistan lightly. The World Cup match was impacted by dew and the toss, but the Asia Cup Super 4 match was a close one. Pakistan eventually won thanks to that innings by Mohammad Nawaz.”
Pakistan defeated India by 10 wickets in the opening encounter of the last World Cup in the UAE. Since then, both teams have played T20Is in the Asia Cup 2022, with India winning one and Pakistan winning the other. The Men in Green won the Asia Cup Super 4 match by five wickets against the Men in Blue.
“In the past, India had won all their World Cup matches against Pakistan, but that streak is also over now. Both teams know that whoever plays well on the day will win,” he added.
Shaheen And Fakhar Need To Play Against India – Samlan Butt
Butt backed both Shaheen Afridi and Fakhar Zaman to be included in Pakistan’s playing XI for the big game. Both players have returned to the squad after recovering from their respective injuries.
“Now that Shaheen and Fakhar have been picked, they need to play against India; there is no option. This is the World Cup after all. Suppose Shaheen is rested against India, and claims 3-4 wickets against a weak side, there will be criticism over why he didn’t play against India,” he concluded.
After winning the T20 tri-series in New Zealand, the Pakistan team will head into the T20 World Cup with high on confidence. They won the final against the Kiwis by five wickets.
