IND vs PAK: India’s Predicted Playing XI Against Pakistan- ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Match 16
by Vikas Singh Derek · CricketAddictorIND vs PAK: India’s Predicted Playing XI Against Pakistan- ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Match 16. India and Pakistan are set to lock horns in their opening game of ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
The India vs Pakistan clash is all set to take place on October 24 (Sunday) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India and Pakistan are both parts of group 2 in the tournament. New Zealand, Afghanistan, Scotland, and Namibia are other teams in group 2.
India and Pakistan played two warm-up matches earlier in the tournament. While India won both of their warm-up games, Pakistan won 1 game and lost 1. India and Pakistan have locked horns 5 times in T20 World Cups before, all of which were won by India.
Hence, India seek to continue their winning streak while Pakistan aims for their first-ever win. Ahead of the IND vs PAK encounter in T20 World Cup 2021, here we talk about India’s predicted playing XI in the match.
IND vs PAK: India’s Predicted Playing XI Against Pakistan- ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Match 16
KL Rahul
KL Rahul will be the opener for India in the opening game against Pakistan. KL Rahul is in spectacular batting form, which was widely observed during IPL 2021 and warm-up games. He smashed quickfire 51 and 39 in the two warm-up games, smashing boundaries all over the ground during his innings.
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma will be the other opener for India in the opening game. Rohit Sharma is the permanent opener for India in all three formats. In the warm-up match against Australia, Rohit Sharma smacked an unbeaten 60-run knock to help India bag a comfortable victory. Hence, he is a good form and India will keep him at the opening slot throughout T20 World Cup 2021.
Virat Kohli (C)
Virat Kohli will be the skipper of the team in T20 World Cup 2021 and will lead the side in the opening game against Pakistan. This is Virat Kohli’s last tournament as a T20I skipper for Indian team. He will be aiming to make it count. In the one warm-up game that he played, the Indian skipper got out for 11 runs. However, Kohli is a dangerous batsman who can smack a big knock anytime.
Rishabh Pant (WK)
Rishabh Pant will be the wicketkeeper for the team in the opening game. Pant is the primary wicketkeeper for the team in ICC T20 World Cup 2021. During the warm-up match, he showed a good batting performance against England by hitting an unbeaten 29 off 14.
Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav might be picked at the middle-order in the game against Pakistan. Yadav, who was struggling with his form recently, showed a good performance in a warm-up match. He got out cheaply against England for 8 runs, however, slammed unbeaten 38 against Australia in the other game. Hence, he has proved to the team that he can pile up runs with the bat.
Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya will be another batsman at the middle-order. Although Pandya doesn’t look fit enough to bowl right now, the team might pick him in the opening game against Pakistan for his powerful batting and experience. In the warm-up games of T20 World Cup 2021, he hit unbeaten 12 and 14 in the two games. He will be a good choice for the team at the lower middle-order.
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja will be the all-rounder for the team in the opening game. Jadeja did not bat in the two warm-up games. He bowled in one game and picked 1 wicket. Along with his quickfire batting, Jadeja also has the skills to bowl and he is a useful spinner option for the team.
Also Read: IND vs PAK: 3 Reasons Why Pakistan Can Beat India In Their First Match Of T20 World Cup 2021
Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin is highly expected to be picked as the full-time spinner in the opening game. Ashwin bowled really well during the warm-up games. In the first match, he remained wicketless but conceded just 23 runs in his 4 overs. In the other game, he picked 2 wickets, crushing Australia’s top order. Moreover, Ashwin is also a dependable tailender batsman for the team.
Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami will be the first pacer in the team. Right from IPL 2021, Shami has shown good form. In the one warm-up game that he played against England, Shami grabbed 3 wickets. Due to his good bowling form, the team will surely pick him in the opening game.
Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah is another pacer that the team will pick in the opening game against Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2021. Bumrah impressed with his bowling during IPL 2021. He carried on his form in the warm-up game as well. He picked 1 wicket while conceding just 26 runs against England.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be another pacer in the team in the opening game. Kumar emerged expensive in the warm-up match against England, conceding 54 runs in his 4 overs and remaining wicketless. However, he made a good comeback against Australia, taking 1 wicket and conceding just 27 runs. Hence, he is also expected to be part of the team in the opening game.