Individual competitions, such as the ones that are listed below, won’t be for those who are easily intimidated by the star-studded lineup of 22 players that India and Pakistan have assembled for their Asia Cup 2023 match.
It’s been almost a year since the last time India and Pakistan squared off in a cricket match, and now it’s finally time for them to do so again. However, despite the magnitude of the animosity that exists between these two countries in the sport of cricket, the individual matchups have always been the ones to steal the show.
While Team India has finally gotten back to playing at full strength for the first time in over a year, Pakistan has put together their most talented cricket team in recent memory. Pakistan, who have played more matches, have become a more united team as a result of this, yet this does not change the fact that India is still the favourite.
On paper, they consistently have an advantage; however, how their performance develops when they are put in front of a large audience is going to be what actually fires this spectacle.
The matches between India and Pakistan have, on the whole, been nail-biting affairs, and the fact that there have been so many less of them over the past decade has only served to heighten the anticipation around them. Certain individual match-ups, such as the ones described below, won’t be for the faint of heart due to the fact that the Asia Cup 2023 showdown on Sunday will feature a line-up of 22 players that are star-studded and ready to compete.
1. Shaheen Afridi takes against Rohit Sharma in this matchup.
The combination of left-arm pacers and Indian openers is not a match made in heaven. Think back to the Champions Trophy in 2017, the World Cup semifinal in 2019, and the Twenty20 World Cup in 2021… what’s the common thread here? A left-arm pacer that is wreaking havoc on India’s top order, with Mohammad Amir, Trent Boult, and Shaheen Afridi being the most destructive of the bunch. In spite of the fact that Amir has left the game and Boult won’t be a factor again till the World Cup, India continues to be concerned about Shaheen. Shaheen, who is widely regarded as one of the world’s best bowlers with the new ball, has skillfully built a reputation for taking wickets in the very first over of his innings.
Shaheen’s effect with the ball is comparable to that of Virender Sehwag’s with the bat. Shaheen’s prowess with the bat parallels that of Shaheen’s with the ball.
And among his most cherished opponents is none other than Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian national cricket team. In recent times, we’ve seen Rohit show a touch of fragility against genuine pace due to his occasionally unsure early footwork. Shaheen is sure to have taken note of this, since it’s likely something that he’s been paying attention to. Take a mental trip back in time two years, to the day when Shaheen fired Rohit in Dubai in exchange for a golden duck. A 50-over match, on the other hand, will make it more difficult to get on his back. Because of his tenacity and ability to think strategically over the long term, Rohit will surely make Shaheen’s work more difficult to do.
2.Virat Kohli takes on number two seed Haris Rauf.
The three consecutive sixes that Virat Kohli hit off Haris Rauf during the Twenty20 World Cup the year before have cemented their place in cricket lore; in fact, it is possible that this feat may go down in the annals of the sport as being on par with Shane Warne’s ball of the century or Sachin Tendulkar’s twin centuries at Sharjah in 1998. However, this gives an opportunity for Pakistani pacer Rauf to make amends for his previous brazen statement that Kohli might find it difficult to replicate those shots. Rauf comes into the arena with energy after his amazing performance against Afghanistan, in which he took five wickets.
The Indian batting line-up is in no way comparable to their Asian counterparts; yet, the matchup between Rauf’s scorching pace and Kohli’s red-hot batting promises to be an exciting show. Rauf achieved the greatest T20 numbers of his career in the most recent match against New Zealand, but Kohli has never been one to back down from a challenge. As Virat Kohli prepares to make his comeback to the format that has brought him the most success, there is no doubt that the upcoming matchup between these two cricket titans will excite the spectators.
3. The match between Babar Azam and Jasprit Bumrah
There’s no prize for guessing who won the most recent match between Jasprit Bumrah and Babar Azam when it comes to bowling. In Dubai, Pakistan easily defeated India by ten wickets, thanks in large part to Babar’s performance. However, hey! This is not the year 2021 any longer. The revitalised and energised version of Bumrah that exists now is light years ahead of the version that existed two years ago, when it was clearly worn out. Although Babar got off to a strong start in the Asia Cup 2023 by scoring a century against the relatively weak Afghanistan team, batting against India presents a whole different challenge.
4. Kuldeep Yadav takes on Iftikhar Ahmad in this matchup.
The match can come down to the underappreciated contest between Kuldeep Yadav and Iftikhar Ahmed, which has the potential to be a deciding factor. Iftikhar’s propensity for strong hits must surely pique Kuldeep’s interest, and the left-arm wrist-spinner, armed with an arsenal of variations, would be ready to exploit his dexterity and craftiness to outfox Ahmed. Iftikhar is currently Pakistan’s most in-form middle-order batter, despite the fact that Mohammad Rizwan and other veterans are in the lineup as well. This battle, on the other hand, is elevated to the level of a must-watch spectacle thanks to Kuldeep’s newly discovered self-assurance, which developed during the Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid era.
This reinvigorated Kuldeep is like a breath of fresh air, and even while he can still be vulnerable to giving up runs, the fact that he has a tendency for grabbing critical wickets makes him a formidable opponent to be reckoned with. A danger that seeks to prevent ‘Iftimania’ from becoming dominant in the conflict with India. Kuldeep has an advantage going into this competition thanks to the fact that he was selected ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal. This further solidifies Kuldeep’s position as India’s best wrist-spinner. Kuldeep’s recent bowling numbers of 3/28 and 4/6 also give him an advantage. Despite this, the mystery revolves around how he would use the 10 overs that have been allotted to him. When the focus changes to Iftikhar going on strike, the competition between intelligence and skills will be in full force and ready to be decided.
Bumrah’s record against Babar is still spotless, but beginning on Sunday, he will have three opportunities in this year alone to change that statistic. Those opportunities will all take place against Babar. However, even the most feared fast bowler for India acknowledges the blistering form that the Pakistan captain is now in. The previous season, India was able to limit Babar’s influence by a significant amount thanks to Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Ravi Bishnoi, who were successful in dismissing the Pakistan captain for a low cost. The question that arises now is whether or not Bumrah may join this select group of people whose dismissals were successful. Or is it more likely that Babar will bolster his power against India in the future?
5 Virat Kohli takes against Babar Azam in this one.
Even though it’s not a head-to-head matchup, it seems inappropriate not to pit Kohli against Babar during a match between India and Pakistan.
A sight for sore eyes is the combination of the greatness of the veteran Kohli with the brilliance of the up-and-coming superstar that is Babar. Even though Virat has decisively prevailed in this battle, the fact that both players will be competing against one other in a format that they enjoy makes this a mouthwatering contest.
If there is one piece of news that has continually garnered headlines, it is the ongoing comparison between Babar and Kohli. Who among us will ever forget the touching images of the two of them together after Pakistan defeated India? Or Babar’s tweet to Kohli that said “This too shall pass” right before the Asia Cup of the previous year?
The handshake became grist for memes to jump in as Kohli surged back to form while Babar’s own consistency slipped, or the fact that Kohli recognised the Pakistan skipper as ‘the top batter in the world.’ Memers jumped in as Kohli roared back to form while Babar’s own consistency dipped. It’s mind-boggling to consider what secrets this contest of wits could discover.
It’s like Sunil Gavaskar taking on Allan Border, or Ricky Tendulkar going up against Sachin Tendulkar. Both are legendary Indian cricketers. In spite of all the other skirmishes, the match between Kohli and Babar might end up being the most important one.
