The iconic fixture of India-Pakistan has produced some of the tournament's most memorable games and is set to be a mouth-watering contest once again.
On Sunday (September 4), India will face Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 Super 4 round match 2 and once again, a billion eyes will be glued on screen to witness this battle from various perspectives.
India won the first round of competition by beating Pakistan by 5 wickets in the group stage, while the latter will be looking to make a comeback.
Four teams - India, Afghanistan, Pakistan and official host Sri Lanka progressed to the last-four stage. India topped Group A (A1) while Afghanistan finished as the leader of Group B (B2). Sri Lanka, the host (B1), qualified for the Super 4 after beating Bangladesh by two wickets on Thursday in Dubai.
Pakistan was the last team to enter the last-four stage with a massive 155-run win over Hong Kong on Friday in Sharjah.
Here are five player battles from India vs Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022 to watch out for:
1. Virat Kohli vs Shadab Khan
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Virat Kohli facing Pakistani spinner Shadab Khan would be the prime highlight of the match. Since Kohli has been struggling against leg spinners, facing Shadab could be a huge challenge.
2. Babar Azam vs Bhuvaneshwar Kumar
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Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, is one of the best bowlers in limited overs format, courtesy to his superb swing and speed. Babar Azam, on the other hand, has proven his worth with the bat in recent years.
As per the ICC T20 International rankings, Babar Azam leads the International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI and Twenty20 rankings, while Kumar is ranked 10th among T20I bowlers.
3. Arshdeep Singh vs Mohammad Rizwan
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Arshdeep has played six T20Is since his debut in July, grabbing nine wickets at a 6.33 economy rate. In the Asia Cup 2022, he might share the new ball with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. His clash against Pakistan opener Mohammed Rizwan could be interesting to watch.
Rizwan has been in excellent form with the bat, so it will be a true test for the 23-year-old pacer. Rizwan has 1,662 runs in 56 T20Is, 1,326 of which came in 2021 alone. He is also the third-best T20I batter, whom the Indian bowlers would like to get rid of.
4. Yuzvendra Chahal vs Asif Ali
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Yuzvendra Chahal has become India's first-choice frontline spinner after a successful Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2022. The leggie was the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 27 wickets in 17 games for the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Graeme Swann, the former England spinner, rated Chahal as the best spinner in the world available at the moment.
Fans may find Chahal's duel against Pakistan's power-hitter Asif Ali to be an exciting one. Ali can take on bowlers and be the deciding factor for the Men in Green near the conclusion of an innings. He only played one T20I this year but had a strike rate of above 160 the previous year. He may face Chahal momentarily in the Asia Cup match.
5. Rohit Sharma vs Haris Rauf
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India's skipper Rohit Sharma has been one of the top white-ball batsmen in the last decade or so. He is a natural ball timer and can easily clear the boundary ropes. He is one of the tournament's most experienced players, having played 132 T20Is and nearly 400 T20 games.
Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf, on the other hand, has recently performed effectively with the ball across formats. He took back-to-back three-wicket hauls against the Netherlands in the recently concluded ODI series and appears to be getting into a rhythm.
