T20 World Cup 2021 Super 12 match: India vs Pakistan: Key Battles and Key Players

Both
the
teams
have
some
very
good
players
and
as
a
team
too
they
have
enjoyed
a
good
last
couple
of
years.

Then
we
have
that
perennial
edge
around
an
India
vs
Pakistan
match
that
adds
to
the
spice.

Then
watch
out
for
these
key
battles
that
can
affect
the
complexion
of
the
match.

1. 
   Shaheen
   Afridi
   vs
   India
   openers

The
21-year-old
left-arm
exploded
on
to
the
scene
in
2018
and
since
then
has
has
taken
32
wickets
from
30
T20Is,
most
of
it
came
upfront
too
with
the
new
ball.
His
skills
and
ability
to
bowl
fast
Yorkers
will
come
into
play
against
in-form
India
openers
—
Rohit
Sharma
and
KL
Rahul.
In
fact,
Rohit
is
not
precisely
comfortable
against
left-arm
pacers,
and
got
out
to
that
kind
a
few
times
in
the
past.
Pakistan
will
hope
that
Afridi
can
exploit
that
weak
side
and
prevent
an
India
batting
flourish.
A
good
start
by
Rohit
and
Rahul
will
go
a
long
way
in
giving
India
an
added
advantage
in
the
contest.

2.
Jasprit
Bumrah
vs
Pakistan
batsmen

Bumrah
is
the
second
highest
wicket-taker
in
T20Is
for
India
with
59
wickets
from
50
matches.
Leg-spinner
Yuzvendra
Chahal
holds
the
record
with
63
wickets.
Bumrah
has
a
good
record
against
Pakistan
too,
even
though
he
has
played
just
two
T20I
games
against
them
in
2016.

In
those
two
matches,
Bumrah
has
taken
2
wickets
while
conceding
5.71
runs
across
7
overs.
Since
then
Bumrah
has
only
grown
in
stature
as
a
bowler
across
the
formats.
India
would
like
to
see
the
back
of
some
dangerous
Pakistan
batsmen
like
Babar
Azam,
Mohammad
Rizwan
and
Fakhar
Zaman.
Bumrah
could
be
the
go-to
man
of
Virat
Kohli,
once
again!

3.
Pakistan
spinners
vs
India
middle-order

This
could
really
get
intense.
Pakistan
have
some
experienced
names
manning
their
spin
department
such
as
Shoaib
Malik,
Mohammad
Hafeez
and
Imad
Wasim.
On
the
slower
pitches
of
UAE,
these
experienced
campaigners
have
the
ability
to
apply
break
on
the
opponents.
With
two
left-handers
in
India
middle-order
—
Rishabh
Pant
and
Ishan
Kishan
—
this
contest
could
heat
up.

4.
Dark
horses

India:
Ishan
Kishan:
The
left-hander
has
been
in
good
touch
after
a
brief
lull
in
the
IPL
2021
for
Mumbai
Indians.
Kishan
made
a
sparkling
fifty
in
the
warm-up
game
against
England
and
he
would
want
to
continue
in
the
same
vein
in
the
T20
World
Cup
too.
He
has
a
big
role
to
play
against
Pakistan
who
has
some
really
experienced
bowling
line-up,
and
his
ability
to
score
quickly
should
come
handy
for
India.

Pakistan:
Haider
Ali:
Hailing
from
Pakistan
Punjab,
Haider
is
the
new
T20
hope
of
his
country.
He
is
known
as
Pakistan’s
Rohit
Sharma
and
had
a
very
good
Nation
Cup
T20
recently.
He
should
be
a
part
of
the
Pakistan
Playing
11,
and
could
carry
some
x-factor
into
the
match.