Team India will be readying for the blockbuster clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022, when the two sides meet in Dubai on August 28, 2022.
Afghanistan defeated Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup tournament opening encounter on August 27.
The high voltage clash between India and Pakistan is one of the most awaited ones as the two teams last clashed in the league stages of the T20 World Cup 2021 at this same venue, with Pakistan registering their maiden victory in World Cup tournaments over India.
But since then, a lot has changed for both teams as they are without their respective main strike bowlers, and keeping this in mind, team COC presents India predicted playing XI for this match.
The Indian top three are expected to be the same as the last time they played against Pakistan with Rohit Sharma opening the innings with KL Rahul and Virat Kohli coming in at no.3. Rahul is coming off the Zimbabwe series which came after a long layoff.
Virat Kohli is also coming off a break which would have helped him rejuvenate and come back with a fresh approach and hopefully break his ongoing poor run of form. This will also be his 100th T20I match for India and he will become only the second player in history to play 100 or more matches in all three forms of international cricket after Ross Taylor.
Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, and Hardik Pandya might be the chosen middle order given that all of them are in wonderful form with the bat. Hardik Pandya will also provide the bowling cushion needed for Rohit in case a bowler has a poor outing.
Dinesh Karthik might not make it into the XI, given that Indian team management would likely prefer to play Ravindra Jadeja as the spin all-rounder with R Ashwin accompanying him. Yuzvendra Chahal is expected to be the third spinner on the Dubai surface which might help the slower bowlers.
As for the pace bowlers, India is expected to go in with the experience of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the left-arm angle of Arshdeep Singh. With Hardik also bowling, Rohit might be able to save a few overs of either Kumar or Arshdeep for the death overs as well.
COC Predicted Team India Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
