India vs Pakistan: 3 Reasons Why Pakistan Will Beat India In ICC T20 World Cup 2022

India vs Pakistan: 3 Reasons Why Pakistan Will Beat India In ICC T20 World Cup 2022. Pakistan will begin their 2022 T20 World Cup campaign against India on October 23. Babar Azam’s men lost in the finals of the recent Asia Cup, going down to Sri Lanka by 23 runs.

After the disappointment of the 2021 T20 World Cup, where they lost in the semifinals, Pakistan would be hoping to turn things around in 2022 when they travel to Australia. Pakistan begin their campaign against India at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground and will go on to play four more league games.

The winners of the 2009 World T20(T20I World Cup) also reached the final in 2007, where they lost to India. They have entered the semifinals on three other occasions, including in 2010, 2012 and in 2021.

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 arch-rivals 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.

India vs Pakistan: 3 Reasons Why Pakistan Will Beat India In ICC T20 World Cup 2022

1. Pakistan Skipper Babar Azam and Keeper Mohammad Rizwan’s Recent T20I Form

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.

Babar Azam scored only 68 runs averaging a pathetic 11.33 in 6 T20Is in Asia Cup but came back in the subsequent home series against England where he scored his 2nd T20I ton. He amassed 285 runs in 7 T20Is averaging 57 against England and also averages 101 in the ongoing tri-series scoring 22 and 79*. If he starts well against India, he can single-handedly take the game away from the opposition.

Mohammad Rizwan was the highest run-getter in Asia Cup 2022 with 281 runs averaging 56.2 in 6 T20Is. He continued his dream run in the subsequent T20Is at home against England- 316 runs in 6 T20Is averaging 63.2 and 82 runs in 2 T20Is so far in the ongoing tri-series averaging 82. He can single-handedly take the game away from the opposition as he’s in fantastic form of late.

2. Pakistan’s Pace Bowling Arsenal With Return Of Fit Again Shaheen Shah Afridi

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 Injured Jasprit Bumrah And Out Of Form Pacers 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-to some extent, no one has been able to be effective at the end overs.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s expensive overs in the death proved costly for India against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2022 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded 16 runs in the 19th over of the first T20I against Australia. He leaked 19 runs in the penultimate 19th over against Pakistan and 14 runs against Sri Lanka, costing India matches during the recent Asia Cup 2022.

Harshal Patel returned to the Indian team for the upcoming T20I series against Australia after missing out on several important tours including Asia Cup 2022 due to a rib injury. His last two outings in international cricket saw him giving away 49 and 45 runs respectively without picking a scalp and that too while playing in home conditions.

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 the 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.