After last week’s handshake standoff, skipper Suryakumar Yadav will turn to India’s spin trio to weave their magic as the Men in Blue gear up for a fiery Super 4 showdown against Pakistan this Sunday.
Indo-Pak matches have always carried drama, but the “surface tension” on display this time has been unusually palpable. The fallout from last Sunday—when Suryakumar and his teammates opted not to shake hands with their rivals—still looms large.
Sources told PTI that India is likely to stick with the same stance this Sunday, meaning handshakes may again be off the table, even as Pakistan and their supporters treat the encounter as a true “grudge match.”
Sundays rarely bring relaxation for the Indian captain, who led the team to a seven-wicket win in the previous encounter, anchoring the chase with his trademark calm under pressure.
In this tournament, Suryakumar is expected to be the best batter, a tactical genius and also an ambassador for his country -- all rolled into one.
Who are likely to make it to India's Playing XI
Axar Patel's head injury while trying to take a catch against Oman would keep him and head coach Gautam Gambhir little worried but fielding coach T Dilip allayed fears by stating that he thought the all-rounder was doing fine.
Before the Pakistan game, Surya needed to check all the important players in the line-up and it is very clear that Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh didn't look the part as little-known Pakistan-born Oman players -- 43-year-old Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza -- thrashed the out-of-sync duo.
On Sunday though, one will get to see Jasprit Bumrah, whose mere presence lifts the spirit of his teammates in the playing eleven alongside Varun Chakravarthy. Both were rested in the inconsequential last game.
The pitches on offer at the Dubai International Stadium are helping the slow bowlers and onus will once again be on Kuldeep Yadav (eight wickets in the tournament so far), Axar and Varun to tilt the scales decisively in India's favour.
In case, Axar is reported unfit by this evening, there is enough time to fly in a Washington Sundar or a Riyan Parag to fill in that slot although it won't exactly be a like-for-like replacement.
What lies ahead for Pakistan
For Pakistan, a team once celebrated for its unpredictability, the current squad disappoints, particularly with the bat, where none seem capable of reading spin from the hand.
A country that once produced legends like Javed Miandad, Inzamam ul Haq, Saleem Malik, and Ijaz Ahmed now fields players whose technique feels surprisingly fragile.
Opener Saim Ayub, the left-hander who has recorded back-to-back ducks, has become a source of jokes—especially after making a bigger impact with the ball than the bat.
“Saim Ayub dreamed of becoming Saeed Anwar, but he’s turning into Saeed Ajmal,” quips the cricketing fraternity, highlighting how he has taken more wickets in the tournament than runs scored.
Meanwhile, Sahibzada Farhan and Hasan Nawaz are trying to bail the team out with aggressive shots, yet it is Shaheen Shah Afridi—shockingly—the only one who has shown real promise with the bat in this struggling lineup.
Currently, there seem to be only two players, who can keep them in fight -- Fakhar Zaman, the best batter in the squad, and Shaheen, who would like to bowl a better first spell against Abhishek Sharma.
Unlike the last game against India when Pakistan played a third spinner in left-armer Sufiyan Muqeem, there is more chance of fast bowler Haris Rauf getting the nod on Sunday after his impressive show against the UAE in their last group league game.
While Sanju Samson scored a scratchy fifty against Oman, it is unlikely that he would bat No. 3 against Pakistan if right-hander Shubman Gill gets out quickly.
It would be skipper Suryakumar, who would again be back at his familiar position which made him a world No.1 batter.
In case Abhishek gets out in Powerplay, then left-handed Tilak Varma will bat at No.3.
For India, runs from Gill and some quality batting time for Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube hasn't happened so far. But one can trust India's top four to handle the Pakistani bowlers.
In any case, Suryakumar and his men know when and to what extent the outside noise needs to be shut.
Squads:
India: Suyakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.
Pakistan:Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
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Indo-Pak matches have always carried drama, but the “surface tension” on display this time has been unusually palpable. The fallout from last Sunday—when Suryakumar and his teammates opted not to shake hands with their rivals—still looms large.
Sources told PTI that India is likely to stick with the same stance this Sunday, meaning handshakes may again be off the table, even as Pakistan and their supporters treat the encounter as a true “grudge match.”
Sundays rarely bring relaxation for the Indian captain, who led the team to a seven-wicket win in the previous encounter, anchoring the chase with his trademark calm under pressure.
In this tournament, Suryakumar is expected to be the best batter, a tactical genius and also an ambassador for his country -- all rolled into one.
Who are likely to make it to India's Playing XI
Axar Patel's head injury while trying to take a catch against Oman would keep him and head coach Gautam Gambhir little worried but fielding coach T Dilip allayed fears by stating that he thought the all-rounder was doing fine.Before the Pakistan game, Surya needed to check all the important players in the line-up and it is very clear that Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh didn't look the part as little-known Pakistan-born Oman players -- 43-year-old Aamir Kaleem and Hammad Mirza -- thrashed the out-of-sync duo.
On Sunday though, one will get to see Jasprit Bumrah, whose mere presence lifts the spirit of his teammates in the playing eleven alongside Varun Chakravarthy. Both were rested in the inconsequential last game.
The pitches on offer at the Dubai International Stadium are helping the slow bowlers and onus will once again be on Kuldeep Yadav (eight wickets in the tournament so far), Axar and Varun to tilt the scales decisively in India's favour.
In case, Axar is reported unfit by this evening, there is enough time to fly in a Washington Sundar or a Riyan Parag to fill in that slot although it won't exactly be a like-for-like replacement.
What lies ahead for Pakistan
For Pakistan, a team once celebrated for its unpredictability, the current squad disappoints, particularly with the bat, where none seem capable of reading spin from the hand.A country that once produced legends like Javed Miandad, Inzamam ul Haq, Saleem Malik, and Ijaz Ahmed now fields players whose technique feels surprisingly fragile.
Opener Saim Ayub, the left-hander who has recorded back-to-back ducks, has become a source of jokes—especially after making a bigger impact with the ball than the bat.
“Saim Ayub dreamed of becoming Saeed Anwar, but he’s turning into Saeed Ajmal,” quips the cricketing fraternity, highlighting how he has taken more wickets in the tournament than runs scored.
Meanwhile, Sahibzada Farhan and Hasan Nawaz are trying to bail the team out with aggressive shots, yet it is Shaheen Shah Afridi—shockingly—the only one who has shown real promise with the bat in this struggling lineup.
Currently, there seem to be only two players, who can keep them in fight -- Fakhar Zaman, the best batter in the squad, and Shaheen, who would like to bowl a better first spell against Abhishek Sharma.
Unlike the last game against India when Pakistan played a third spinner in left-armer Sufiyan Muqeem, there is more chance of fast bowler Haris Rauf getting the nod on Sunday after his impressive show against the UAE in their last group league game.
While Sanju Samson scored a scratchy fifty against Oman, it is unlikely that he would bat No. 3 against Pakistan if right-hander Shubman Gill gets out quickly.
It would be skipper Suryakumar, who would again be back at his familiar position which made him a world No.1 batter.
In case Abhishek gets out in Powerplay, then left-handed Tilak Varma will bat at No.3.
For India, runs from Gill and some quality batting time for Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube hasn't happened so far. But one can trust India's top four to handle the Pakistani bowlers.
In any case, Suryakumar and his men know when and to what extent the outside noise needs to be shut.
Squads:
India: Suyakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.Pakistan:Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
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