Asia Cup 2022, IND vs PAK match preview: Predicted XI, weather forecast, pitch report, players to watch

India and Pakistan will lock horns in Dubai on August 28, Sunday, in Match 2 of the Asia Cup 2022. Pakistan have the bragging rights after their thumping 10-wicket victory over their arch-rivals in their last meeting in the 2021 T20 World Cup at the same venue. India, on the other hand, have had a great run of form, coming into the tournament on the back of series wins over Zimbabwe and West Indies.

In the Asia Cup, India and Pakistan faced each other 15 times. Out of which, India have won 8 while Pakistan have won 5 matches. 

Asia Cup 2022, Match 2- India vs Pakistan

Weather Forecast

The weather at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium will be 30 degrees Celsius and quite humid. The outcome of the match would be determined by the coin toss. There is less possibility of precipitation.

India Predicted Playing XI

KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh.

Pakistan Predicted Playing XI

Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Harris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain

Pitch Report 

The Dubai International Cricket Stadium is a batsman’s paradise. Sri Lanka scored 211 runs against Pakistan on this pitch in December 2013, while West Indies scored  their lowest 55 runs against England in March 2021. Though the average score would be around 140 runs on the ground, for an interesting contest, it would be ideal to have 160-170 runs on the board.

Key players to watch

Virat Kohli vs Shadab Khan

Virat Kohli facing Pakistani spinner Shadab Khan would be the prime highlight of the match. Since Kohli has been struggling against leg spinners, facing Shadab could be a huge challenge.

Babar Azam vs Bhuvaneshwar Kumar

Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, is one of the best bowlers in limited overs format, courtesy to his superb swing and speed. Babar Azam, on the other hand, has proven his worth with the bat in recent years.

According to the ICC T20 International rankings, Babar Azam leads the International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI and Twenty20 rankings, while Kumar is ranked 10th among T20I bowlers.

India vs Pakistan Match Prediction

While India will have an advantage because their top order is in excellent form, Pakistan may have a second home advantage because they are more experienced at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Both India and Pakistan have won four of their past five T20 International matches, with only one narrow defeat. Given the batting conditions, India will opt to chase rather than set a total.