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ICC World Cup 2023: Top 5 players to watch for in India-Pakistan match
Did your favourite star player make the cut?
AFP file photo
After clinching two wins in as many games, the Pakistan cricket team will face, arguably, their first biggest test in the World Cup 2023 when they take the field against India on Saturday.
Team India will also be aiming to extend their winning streak to three games this weekend at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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As the two Asian giants gear up for a titanic clash, we take a look at the top five players who could hog the spotlight during the match:
Virat Kohli
PTI
The last time India and Pakistan had lined up against each other, it was Virat Kohli who scored a scintillating century to win the Player of the Match award.
Kohli’s unbeaten knock of 122 powered India to a mammoth total of 356 in that Asia Cup contest against Pakistan.
Fans still vividly remember Kohli’s match-winning performance of 82 against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup last year. A deep dive into Kohli’s stats against Pakistan will prove why he is touted as a potential star performer this time as well.
According to an article published by The Times of India, Kohli averages 154.5 in three World Cup matches against Pakistan. In World Cup 2023, Kohli is in top form, having scored two half-centuries in two matches.
Babar Azam
AFP
The Pakistan skipper is a class act but he has not impressed with the bat at this World Cup. That is exactly why Babar Azam will head into the match against India as a potent threat.
Having scored just 15 runs till now in the tournament, Babar will be hungry for a good knock. Big-game players like Babar live for grand occasions and it doesn’t get bigger than an India-Pakistan clash to rediscover form.
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Shaheen Afridi
AFP
The vulnerability of Indian batters against left-arm pacers is an open secret and Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi is an old nemesis.
Afridi showcased his lethal bowling against India at the T20 World Cup two years back. He had another excellent four-wicket haul against India in a rain-hit Asia Cup contest earlier this year. Needless to say, Pakistan will once again depend on Afridi’s calibre in Ahmedabad.
Jasprit Bumrah
PTI
With six dismissals under his belt, Jasprit Bumrah is the joint second-highest wicket-taker at the World Cup 2023. Highly effective with both new and old balls, Bumrah can prove to be a lethal weapon in India’s bowling armoury.
The 29-year-old pacer will now be aiming to come up with his best bowling figures against Pakistan.
Abdullah Shafique
AFP
A lot has been said and written about Abdullah Shafique’s inclusion in Pakistan's playing XI. The opener silenced naysayers with a century against Sri Lanka on his World Cup debut.
Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan stitched a partnership of 176 as Pakistan recorded the highest successful run chase in the ODI World Cup. The 23-year-old looked confident throughout his knock. Pakistan will depend on Shafique to set up a solid foundation against India.
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