Highlights
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar was clinical against Pakistan in the previous game
- Kumar registered best figures by an Indian against Pakistan in T20Is
- India and Pakistan will play against each other on Sunday in Super Fours
IND vs PAK: The stage is getting set, the time is ticking and the fans are gearing up for another India vs Pakistan on a super Sunday. It's time for the two cricketing giants to face off each other again in a mega event. On 4th August 2022, the men in blue and the boys in green will lock horns against each other in the second game of the Super Fours of the Asia Cup 2022. The two teams had met each other in the group stage where the Rohit Sharma-led side prevailed by five wickets, courtesy of Hardik Pandya's all-round show that sealed the deal.
As the two teams meet each other once again, key players from both teams will be in focus. Apart from the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, the spotlight will remain on India's seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was right on the money when India defeated Pakistan last Sunday.
The 32-year-old Kumar is on the third spot in the leading wicket-takers list in the ongoing Asia Cup and has five wickets to his name. With the UAE pitches offering aid to the bowlers, Kumar would be crucial for India and the right-arm pacer will like to top the wicket takers' chart.
Currently, Afghanistan's Mujeeb Ur Rahman leads the tally with seven wickets in three matches at an economy of 5.83. Next on the list is Pakistan's left-arm orthodox spinner Mohammad Nawaz. The 28-year-old Nawaz has scalped six wickets in two games with an economy of 6.70.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will look to continue his fine form:
Bhuvneshwar was clinical against Pakistan in the first game as he registered the record of best bowling figures by an Indian against Pakistan in T20Is. He scalped four wickets in four overs at an economy of 6.50. Kumar continued his stellar run in the next match against Hong Kong on Wednesday as he gave just 15 runs in three overs while picking up one wicket.
Mohammad Nawaz will look to exploit the slow surface:
Mohammad Nawaz was also among the wickets when the two arch-rivals met previously. He scalped three wickets including the prized wickets of Indian captain Rohit Sharma and former skipper Virat Kohli. In 3.3 overs, he took three wickets and gave away 33 runs at an economy of 9.
The spinner scalped another three wickets against Hong Kong on Friday when Pakistan defeated them by a margin of 155 runs. He got rid of Kinchit Shah, wicket-keeper Scott McKechnie and Zeeshan Ali in his two overs while giving five runs.
When the second match of the Super Fours round begins at the Dubai International Stadium, the stakes will be pretty high and the adrenaline will pump pretty fast as the two neighbours collide to open their mark in the crucial stage of the Asia Cup 2022.
