Twenty20 World Cup
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: High-Voltage Match between India and Pakistan
India and Pakistan will begin their ICC T20 World Cup 2021 journey on Sunday (October 24). The match between these two teams will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium at 8 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). This match always brings an extra level of excitement among the fans. This time will be no different. Both teams feature world-class cricketers on their squads. On any given day, these players might put the opponent in peril. The match preview of India vs. Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2021 is discussed in this article.
Read ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka Match Preview
Notable T20I Record between India and Pakistan
The following are the most significant T20I records between India and Pakistan.
India
Pakistan
Matches Played (8)
7
1
Most Runs
Virat Kohli (254 runs in 6 innings)
Shoaib Malik (164 runs in 8 innings)
Highest Score
Virat Kohli (78*)
Mohammad Hafez (61)
Most Fifties
Virat Kohli (2)
Mohammad Hafez (2)
Most Wickets
Irfan Pathan (6)
Umar Gul (11)
Best Bowling Figures
Hardik Pandya (3/8)
Mohammad Asif (4/18)
Most Matches
MS Dhoni (8)
Shahid Afridi (8)
Highest Partnership
Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni (97)
Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik (106)
Most Catches
Suresh Raina (7)
Shoaib Malik (4)
Most Dismissals
MS Dhoni (11)
Kamran Akmal (3)
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
India Team
India's main strength is its well-balanced team. There are some top Indian players in each category who are capable of helping their team win big games. The batting order of India is among the strongest in the world. On the other hand, bowling offers a wide range of options.
Read T20 World Cup: Super 12 stage begins today
The most vital factor is that each player has sufficient experience and is well aware of their role in the team. Indian cricketers may be exhausted after playing so much cricket in recent days. However, there is no doubt that led by Virat Kohli, they would want to shine in their own glory in the match against Pakistan.
Three impactful players of India
Rohit Sharma: T20I: 111 | Runs: 2,864 | HS: 118 | 50s: 22 | SR: 138.96
Virat Kohli: T20I: 90 | Runs: 3,159 | HS: 94* | 50s: 28 | SR: 139.04
Jasprit Bumrah: T20I: 50 | Wkts: 59 | BBI: 3/11 | Econ: 6.66 | SR: 18.20
Read Namibia reaches main draw at T20 World Cup for 1st time
Predicted Playing XI:
KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (Captain), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishab Pant (Wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Rahul Chahar
Pakistan Team
There are a handful of aggressive batters in Pakistan. They are assisting Pakistan in winning games against big teams by exhibiting consistency in their play. Furthermore, as expected, the Pakistani have a formidable bowling attack. The opponent must find a strategy to resist Pakistan's bowling threat. Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is one of the top batters in the world now.
Read Scotland and Bangladesh qualify for T20 World Cup Super 12
However, Babar has yet to find considerable success as a captain. So, he wants to do something exceptional at the Twenty20 World Cup 2021. Pakistan will want to overcome India to start the mission.
Three impactful players of Pakistan
Babar Azam: T20I: 61 | Runs: 2.204 | HS: 122 | 50s: 20 | SR: 130.64
Shoaib Malik: T20I: 116 | Runs: 2,335 | HS: 75 | SR: 124.20 | Wkts: 28 | BBI: 2/7 | SR: 19.90
Hasan Ali: T20I: 41 | Wkts: 52 | BBI: 4/18 | Econ: 8.29 | SR: 15.70
Read T20 WC: Bangladesh advance to Super 12s as Group B runners up
Predicted Playing XI:
Mohammad Rizwan (Wicket-keeper), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (Captain), Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf
Verdict
There will be a three-way battle in group 2 of the Super 12 round for a place in the semifinals of ICC T20 World Cup 2021. India, Pakistan, and New Zealand are the favorites of this group. So, the winner of the India-Pakistan match will surely get an advantage in the group. There won't be any margin for error in the race for the first knockout round.
Read Shakib takes most wickets in T20 WC to equal Afridi’s record
Both teams will be trying to get off to a strong start. India have a good record against Pakistan in T20Is and they will begin the contest as favorites. On the other hand, Pakistan performed well in its recent Twenty20 series. They will be ready to go all-out against their arch-rival India. There will surely be a massive battle on Sunday.
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Shakib Al Hasan Reaches Three Unique Milestones
Bangladesh's ICC T20 World Cup 2021 campaign began with a devastating loss against an inspiring Scotland side. However, ace all-rounder, Shakib Al Hasan was excellent with the ball and snatched two important wickets. He broke one record and completed two separate accomplishments during the contest thanks to the two wickets. Shakib has taken his brilliant cricket career to new heights after achieving these milestones. Here we will highlight the feats of Shakib in Bangladesh's World Cup opening match.
Shakib Al Hasan Sets Three New Records
Shakib Al Hasan has attained a notable number of successes in his nearly two-decade international cricket career. His amazing consistency has propelled him to greatness on the international stage. Take a look at the records he earned during Bangladesh's match against Scotland.
Highest Wicket-Taker in T20I
The world's best all-rounder Shakib was just two wickets away from being the top wicket-taker in T20I cricket before the Bangladesh vs. Scotland match. The brilliant left-arm spinner eclipsed Lasith Malinga's (107) record after taking the wickets of Richie Berrington and Michael Leask. Shakib delivered yet another outstanding bowling effort, finishing his spell with 4-0-17-2.
Read: Shakib becomes highest-wicket taker in T20Is
Currently, the top Bangladeshi all-rounder has 108 T20I wickets at a superb average of 20.46 from 89 matches. On the other hand, Lasith Malinga ended his 84-match T20I career with 107 wickets at an average of 20.79.
The top five wicket-takers in T20I (as of October 17, 2021)
Player
Matches
Wkts
BBI
Ave
Econ
SR
5W
Shakib Al Hasan
89
108
5/20
20.46
6.70
18.3
1
Lasith Malinga
84
107
5/6
20.79
7.42
16.8
2
Tim Southee
83
99
5/18
25.17
8.39
18.0
1
Shahid Afridi
99
98
4/11
24.44
6.63
22.1
0
Rashid Khan
51
95
5/3
12.63
6.21
12.1
2
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
First Bangladesh player to amass 600 international wickets
Prior to this match, Shakib Al Hasan was just two wickets away from being the first Bangladeshi player to achieve the 600-wicket mark in international cricket. He became the first Bangladeshi player to amass 600 wickets on the international arena (across all formats) after taking two wickets in Bangladesh's opening match of ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
Read Blames on batters; Tigers look for a turnaround
Among active players, he is presently the sixth most wicket-takers. Shakib has 600 international wickets at an average of 28.40 in 362 appearances for Bangladesh. The renowned off-spinner from Sri Lanka, Muthiah Muralidaran is presently in first place with an astounding 1347 international wickets at an average of 22.86.
Top five most international wickets (active players)
Player
Matches
Wkts
BBI
Ave
Econ
SR
5W
James Anderson
379
919
7/42
27.46
3.30
49.8
33
Stuart Broad
326
767
8/15
27.95
3.46
48.4
19
Ravi Ashwin
236
615
7/59
26.46
3.40
46.6
30
Tim Southee
305
603
7/33
29.70
4.00
44.5
16
Shakib Al Hasan
362
600
7/36
28.40
3.87
43.9
22
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
600 Wickets & 12,000 Runs on the International Stage
Notable cricketer Shakib has accomplished some exclusive records that no one else could achieve yet. He became the first player in international cricket history to take 600 wickets and score 12,000 runs. Jack Kallis of South Africa achieved 25,000 international runs but fell short of capturing 600 international wickets by 23 wickets.
Players with 500+ Wickets and 10,000+ International Runs
Player
Matches
Wkts
BBI
Avg
Runs
HS
Avg
Shakib Al Hasan
362
600
7/36
28.40
12,316
217
34.98
Jack Kallis
519
577
6/54
32.14
25,534
224
49.10
Shahid Afridi
524
541
7/12
32.78
11,196
156
23.92
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read:T20 World Cup 2021: Five Bangladesh players to watch out for
Bottom Line
Shakib Al Hasan's achievements have been overshadowed by Bangladesh's loss against Scotland. The all-rounder would have been more pleased if Bangladesh had won the contest. However, no one can deny that he has made significant contributions to the development of Bangladesh cricket. Hopefully, Shakib's form in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2021 should encourage Bangladesh to advance to the Super 12 round.
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Favorites to qualify for semifinals from Group 2
The T20 World Cup 2021 is slated to begin late next month. The seventh edition of the ICC’s shorter format World Cup will be co-hosted by the UAE and Oman. The competition's super 12 round will begin on October 23rd, and it will be split into two groups of six teams each. A number of Asian teams will participate in group 2. Which two teams from Group 2 of the super 12 have the best probability of reaching the semifinals in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021? The Group 2 favorites to advance to the semi-finals are discussed in this article.
Favorites to advance to the semifinals from group 2 of the Super 12 round
India
India’s captain Virat Kohli has decided to step down his role after the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. His announcement has surprised many cricket fans around the world given the fact that he is doing well as Team India skipper. But Virat Kohli’s decision will inspire Indian players to do well in the upcoming event. Indian selectors also included experienced off-spinner Ravi Ashwin in the squad who last featured against the Windies back in 2017.
India's T20 World Cup campaign will begin on October 24 in Dubai with a match against Pakistan. This will be a vital contest for India along with the match against New Zealand. The Indian team is expected to finish first in this group because they have some serious talents in the squad.
India's five key players
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Read T20 World Cup 2021: Favorites to qualify for semifinals from Group 1
Pakistan
Pakistan are always a tough opponent in the limited-overs format. Led by Babar Azam, this team does have some real potential. However, they must play with courage in order to maintain consistent performance throughout the tournament.
Pakistan will be able to solidify their strong position in the points table if they can defeat India in their opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. New Zealand, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will also be tough opponents for Pakistan.
Therefore, Pakistan's prospects in the competition will be determined by their consistency. However, they should advance to the next round with their present lineup.
Pakistan's five key players
Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali
Read Youth ODI series: Afghanistan register first win with a Mankad
New Zealand
New Zealand are one of the favorites to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 this year. The New Zealand Test squad just won the maiden ICC Test Championship and their limited-overs team competed in the 2015 and 2019 ICC ODI World Cup finals. Therefore, they have a high level of confidence in comparison to the other competitors in the tournament.
Kane Williamson-led the Blackcaps Twenty20 International team is well equipped for the ICC T20 World Cup with some of the best T20 players in their roster. New Zealand will face two Asian powers as its main opponents in the Group stage. Two teams from India, Pakistan, and New Zealand are most likely to advance in the World Cup semifinals.
New Zealand's five key players
Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Tim Southee
Bangladesh
Bangladesh are expected to finish first in Group B in the qualifying round. Bangladesh's chances against strong opponents in the Super 12 are slim; since they will likely face New Zealand, India, and Pakistan in the first round.
Senior players will have to shoulder the majority of the burden If Bangladesh are to proceed to the next round of the tournament. Bangladesh’s batting will have to play the most crucial role in the tournament because their batting performance hasn't been up to par recently. Overall, Bangladesh have a good chance in two matches, but qualifying for the first knockout phase will be difficult.
Bangladesh's five key players
Mahmudullah Riyad, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin
Read NZ abandons cricket tour of Pakistan over security concerns
Afghanistan
Afghanistan are a very competitive T20 team. They have the ability to beat any team on their day, but they have yet to demonstrate their full potential in the ICC's major tournament. Afghanistan will get a wonderful opportunity to exhibit their talent on this occasion, although qualifying for the next stage will be difficult.
Afghanistan’s main target would be to ensure at least two wins and if possible, make one or two upset. Rashid Khan is their superstar cricketer and he can inspire Afghanistan to excel their performance in the main event.
Afghanistan's five key players
Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad
Read Virat Kohli to step down as India's T20 skipper
Verdict
After looking at the teams' strengths, it's clear that India, Pakistan, and New Zealand are the favorites to go to the semifinals. Furthermore, both Bangladesh and Afghanistan have a good possibility of doing well during the campaign. Teams must find their best rhythm in order to put up a consistent performance during the main event. Group 2 is likely to be very competitive but the team with the best overall performance will progress to the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 semifinals.
T20 World Cup 2021: Favorites to qualify for semifinals from Group 1
The ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2020 has been postponed for a year due to the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic. Finally, the seventh edition of the T20 World Cup will begin on October 17 this year. The top two teams from each group of the Super 12 round will advance to the tournament's first elimination phase. Five Test-playing nations are expected to compete in each group. Among them, which two teams from Group 1 have the highest chance of qualifying for the semifinals in the T20 World Cup 2021? The favorites to qualify for the semi-finals from Group 1 are discussed in this article.
Favorites to qualify for semifinals from group 1 of Super 12 round
West Indies
Teams often emphasize including more experienced cricketers When they pick their World Cup squads. Because experience always comes in handy at a large event. The two-time T20 World Cup champion West Indies have selected 37-year-old veteran Ravi Rampaul in their squad, who was a key member of the 2012 ICC T20 World Cup-winning Windies side. Ravi Rampaul last played for the Windies in a match against Sri Lanka in 2015.
The selectors dropped Jason Holder to make a place in the team for Rampaul. Holder is an important part of the West Indies' current lineup, though his recent T20 performance has been underwhelming.
Overall, the Windies have a number of real match winners who can change the scenario of a game on their own. The Caribbean squad is the most balanced among the group 1 teams and they have a real opportunity to go to the T20 World Cup semifinals if they win at least three matches in the super 12 phase. They will be favorite against Sri Lanka (if they finish first in group A of the qualifying round), Scotland (if finish second in the group B of qualifying round) and South Africa.
READ: Youth ODI series: Afghanistan register first win with a Mankad
Five key players to keep an eye on
Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, and Hayden Walsh Jr
England
England will surely miss their star all-rounder Ben Stokes who has taken a break from cricket a few months ago. Nonetheless, England's team has some genuine match-winners. English players have improved a lot over the years As T20 players.
Led by captain Eoin Morgan, England's batting lineup is one of the finest in the world and they can step up to increase run rates when required. The England batting lineup is one of the finest in the world, and they have the ability to step up and increase run rates when necessary. English bowling unit has the capability to rattle the opposition batting order.
England are favorite against every opposition in group 1 including their arch-rival Australia. Though the match against the Windies will be a real test for England.
Five key players to keep an eye on
Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, and Adil Rashid
Read Virat Kohli to step down as India's T20 skipper
Australia
Australia's most recent bilateral T20I series was against Bangladesh, which ended with a loss. Bangladesh won the series 4-1 despite the absence of a significant number of Australian players. As a result, Australia's World Cup preparations did not go as planned, and they are presently out of form.
Given that the team is Australia, they cannot be ruled out of contention. Led by Aaron Finch, Australia squad has some quality twenty20 players, including two of the top batsmen in the game, David Warner and Steve Smith. Australia must defeat either England or the West Indies in order to proceed to the knockout stage.
Five key players to keep an eye on
Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh
READ: NZ abandons cricket tour of Pakistan over security concerns
South Africa
South Africa used to rule international cricket, but that is no longer the case. A significant number of South African superstar cricketers have just retired, and the current batch of players cannot be expected to deliver much in the upcoming event.
Captain Temba Bavuma’s proteas side for the T20 World Cup 2021 has several competent players that can put up a good show during the main event. Will South Africa be able to finish in the top two in their group? It will be a difficult task for the South African team. Though anything is possible if South Africa can perform as a unit in the competition.
Five key players to keep an eye on
Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada
Read Lasith Malinga: The Illustrious Career of yorker king
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's chances in this year's T20 World Cup are very slim, despite the fact that the team has some promising young players who might become big stars in the future. This Sri Lankan team will compete in the World Cup to gain experience. This knowledge will make them feel more confident about the forthcoming main events.
Sri Lanka will aim to win at least two games, one of which will be against South Africa. However, they do have a small possibility of making the top four.
Five key players to keep an eye on
Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Avishka Fernando
Verdict
After looking at the teams' strengths, it's evident that West Indies and England are the favorites to advance to the semifinals. In addition, both Australia and South Africa have a high chance of performing well throughout the competition. Momentum is essential to succeed at the ICC's major event. Each team will strive to put up their best effort in the competition, with the best two teams of each group progressing to the T20 World Cup 2021's first knockout phase.
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