- By Himanshu Badola
- Sat, 14 Oct 2023 10:09 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
IND vs PAK: The India vs Pakistan clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will add much more in terms of thrill and excitement to the ODI World Cup 2023 on Saturday.
The biggest rivalry The Indian cricket team has never lost a match against Pakistan in the ODI World Cup and this will be the eighth meeting between the two sides. However, the Pakistan cricket team will look to change that after pulling off the highest chase in Cricket World Cup history against a determined Sri Lanka.
While the much-anticipated contest is just around the corner, let's look at some players to watch out for in the two star-studded teams.
Virat Kohli
India's star batter Virat Kohli has promising numbers against the Men in Green, having scored 662 runs at an average of 55.16 and a strike rate of 100.60.
He has been in sublime touch in the ODIs lately and has scored 140 runs in two matches so far including a crucial knock of 85 runs.
He scored half-centuries in both matches and will be aiming to continue the same in order to help the team go big in the ongoing tournament.
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Mohammad Rizwan
Just like Kohli, Pakistan's star wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is going through a remarkable form in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. He has stunning scores of 68 and an unbeaten 131 against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka respectively.
He didn't have good numbers in ODIs prior to the Asia Cup 2023 but made it count in the Super Four clash against Sri Lanka.
However, Rizwan has only played two ODIs against India, and in one of those games, he only had the chance to bat and lost his wicket after just two runs.
Rohit Sharma
India skipper Rohit Sharma put up a show in the last match against Afghanistan as he became the fastest centurion for India in the history of the marquee tournament.
The star batter was at his best, having struck 131 runs in just 84 deliveries to announce his arrival.
Rohit has also great numbers against the arch-rivals Pakistan, having scored 787 runs in 18 innings at an average of 49.18 including seven half-centuries and two hundred.
He played remarkable innings of 140 runs against Pakistan in the last edition of the ODI World Cup in 2019 in England.
Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah has had a promising first two matches as he picked up six wickets including 4/39 in 10 overs against Afghanistan which was his best-ever spell in World Cups.
Having already shown his prowess during the Asia Cup match against Pakistan, Bumrah will be eager to perform in front of his home crowd in Gujarat.
Shaheen Afridi
The premium left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi has emerged as a main threat for the Indian batters in the recent past and nothing will be different, especially in the clash in Ahmedabad.
However, he hasn't been in good touch in the ongoing tournament as he has just two wickets to his name in the two matches. He was very expensive against the Sri Lankans so will look to pick up the rhythm where it matters the most going forward in the tournament.
With the quality that he possesses and the kind of bowling he has done against India (T20 World Cup 2021 and Asia Cup 2023 first match), he will always remain one of the top bowlers to look out for.