IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup 2024: 5 Key Battles To Watch Out For In Blockbuster Clash In New York

Team India and Pakistan will lock horns in the much-anticipated T20 World Cup 2024 Group A clash at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Sunday, June 9.

The two arch-rivals will be facing off for the eighth time in the T20 World Cups. In their last seven encounters, the Men in Blue emerged victorious on six occasions, while Pakistan won only once in the 2021 edition of the tournament.

The last encounter between India and Pakistan was in the group stage of the 2022 T20 World Cup, where Virat Kohli's unbeaten knock of 82 off 53 balls helped the Men in Blue chase down 160-run target.

As the T20 World Cup 2024 clash between India and Pakistan is expected to grab the eyeballs, let's keep an eye on interesting battles between players.

Here are 5 key battles to watch out for:

1. Rohit Sharma vs Shaheen Afridi:

The battle between Rohit Sharma and Shaheen Afridi would be an interesting one as the Team India captain’s aggressive batting approach at the top order will be tested against the Pakistan pace spearhead’s ability to provide early swing in the powerplay. Rohit and Afridi have faced off twice in T20Is, with the Pakistan pacer dismissing the India skipper once while conceding just 4 runs.

2. Virat Kohli vs Haris Rauf

The face-off between Virat Kohli and Haris Rauf will be a repeat of their encounter in the previous edition of the T20 World Cup, where Team India’s talismanic batter hit two sixes on the trot off Pakistan pacer in the penultimate over to turn the game around for the Men in Blue in 160-run chase. Kohli and Rauf locked horns in 4 T20I innings, with the former scoring 42 runs without getting dismissed by the latter. It is expected to be an interesting battle to keep an eye on during the much-anticipated clash.

3. Jasprit Bumrah vs Babar Azam

Jasprit Bumrah and Babar Azam will lock horns for the second time in the upcoming clash between India and Pakistan. The two last encountered in the 2021 T20 World Cup, where Azam scored 13 runs off 10 against Bumrah. In that match, the Pakistan skipper scored an unbeaten 68 off 52 to help the side chase down a 152-run target. Facing off after two years, the encounter between Jasprit Bumrah and Babar Azam will be a thrilling spectacle for the fans.

4. Rishabh Pant vs Shadab Khan

Rishabh Pant's ability to play against spin is a big advantage for the team as he resorts to an aggressive batting approach while facing spinners. To counter Rishabh's aggressive approach, Pakistan are likely to pit lead spinner Shadab Khan against him. Shadab Khan can bowl in different variations which might challenge Pant. The battle between Rishabh Pant and Shabad Khan is likely to be an intriguing showdown during the clash between India and Pakistan.

Arshdeep Singh vs Mohammad Rizwan

Another interesting battle one should keep eye on is between Arshdeep Singh and Mohammad Rizwan. In the previous edition of the T20 World Cup, Arshdeep removed Rizwan for just four runs. The two faced off three times in T20Is, with Mohammad Rizwan scoring 23 runs while being dismissed once by Arshdeep Singh. Arshdeep's ability to swing the ball and Mohammad Rizwan's attacking approach will be an interesting battle to watch out for.