 and Mohammad Rizwan (right) embrace after the India vs. Pakistan match in the 2021 T20 World Cup.jpeg )
The highly anticipated Group A match between India and Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2022 will take place on August 28 (Monday) in Dubai. The Pakistan team can draw motivation from their resounding victory over India in their most recent meeting at the Dubai T20 World Cup 2021. However, the Indian team should be confident going into the game since the Pakistan team is wary about injuries. India vs Pakistan group stage match preview in 2022 Asia Cup Cricket tournament is discussed in this article.
Where will the India vs Pakistan cricket game be contested?
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium will host the India vs Pakistan match on Sunday (August 28). The match will start at 8 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). Pakistan and India only met once at the Dubai cricket stadium, where Pakistan thumped India by 10 wickets.
Overall, India’s men’s T20 team has played four matches at this venue and has two wins and two losses. In contrast, the Pakistan men’s side has plenty of experience playing at the ground. They have participated in 28 Twenty20 international matches; of them they have won 16 and lost 11.
Read Asia Cup 2022: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, Group B Match 1 preview
However, the Indian players are well acquainted with the conditions as the franchise-based T20 league, IPL, is often staged in the UAE. Who will triumph in the match on Sunday?
Who hold the edge in the head-to-head T20 contest between India and Pakistan?
India have dominated the head-to-head battle against Pakistan in the Twenty20 format. The Indian side has won six matches out of nine. Both sides have met each other in the shortest format of the game. On the other hand, Pakistan have won two and one ended in a tie. Here are some of the notable stats between the two sides.
Noteworthy T20I stats between Pakistan and India
| India | Pakistan | |
| Most Runs | Virat Kohli (311) | Shoaib Malik (164) |
| Highest Score | Virat Kohli (78*) | Mohammad Rizwan (79*) |
| Most Sixes | Yuvraj Singh (9) | Misbah-ul-Haq (5), Mohammad Hafeez (5), Shoaib Malik (5) |
| Most Wickets | Irfan Pathan (6) | Umar Gul (11) |
| Best Bowling Figure | Hardik Pandya (3/8) | Mohammad Asif (4/18) |
| Most Dismissals | MS Dhoni (11) | Kamran Akmal (3) |
| Most Catches | Suresh Raina (7) | Shoaib Malik (4) |
| Highest Partnership | Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni (97) | Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam (152*) |
| Most Matches | MS Dhoni (8), Rohit Sharma (8), Yuvraj Singh (8) | Shoaib Malik (9) |
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read Asia Cup 2022: Live streaming TV channels, online platforms to watch from Bangladesh
India vs Pakistan: Which players have a good chance of making the playing XI?
The top order in India is among the finest in the world. The team India’s top-order has maintained more than a 30 average since the Twenty20 World Cup 2021 and their 143.94 strike rate is the best among the ICC’s full member teams. India will likely include two of their young pacers—Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh—along with the experienced Bhuvneshwar. Besides, all the expected names will likely be included in the playing XI.
Probable Playing XI (India)
Top-Order: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli,
Middle-Order: Suryakumar Yadav, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar,
Lower-Order: Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh
Pakistan’s middle-order has the best strike rate since the 2021 T20 World Cup with 152.18. They are the only team whose middle order has more than 150 strike rates, which is why their batters could be a real concern for the opposition teams in the death overs. The Pakistan team has faced two major blows as Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Wasim are both out of the competition due to injuries. Naseem Shah and Hasan Ali have been included in place of them.
Read Asia Cup Cricket 2022: Meet the captains of 6 participating teams
Probable Playing XI (Pakistan)
Top-Order: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Fakar Zaman,
Middle-Order: Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Haider Ali, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan,
Lower-Order: Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
Pakistan vs India Group Stage Match: Pitch report and weather forecast
Although Sunday is expected to be quite hot in Dubai, the relative humidity will remain at or near 35%. At the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the fielding first team has won the majority of games since 2021. The toss decision could be influenced by this statistic.
Verdict
The India-Pakistan cricket clash always makes the newspaper headlines. The 2022 Asia Cup Group A match between India vs Pakistan, the two bitter rivals this Sunday won't be an exception. Making a competitive playing XI is currently an issue for the injury-afflicted Pakistani team. India will therefore begin as the slight favorite to win their inaugural match of the Asia Cup 2022.
Read Asia Cup Cricket: A look back at Bangladesh’s 5 memorable victories