Preview:
The mother of all rivalries is here, as India will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in the 16th match of the T20 World Cup 2021 on Sunday. India have won all of their 5 matches against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup, and will be looking to extend their unbeaten streak in this World Cup as well. They will be buzzing with confidence as they outplayed England and Australia in the warm-up matches. They are likely to go with 2 all-rounders and 4 specialist bowlers for this high prolific clash.
Pakistan, on the other hand, have had a lean patch against India in the World Cups. However, they look like a formidable unit on paper this time around. The opening duo Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will be the key for them. Pakistan are also familiar with the UAE conditions and will be hopeful of surprising India in this match.
Match Details:
India vs Pakistan, Match 16, Super 12 Group 2
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Date & Time: October 24th, at 7:30 PM IST and 6:00 PM Local Time
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar
Pitch Report:
It’s a competitive wicket, where the batters need to work hard for their runs in the middle phases of the game. It’s quite difficult to pick wickets once the batters are set. Anything between 160-170 is a competitive score on this surface.
Also Read: If you ask me, India-Pakistan game is always a high-pressure game: Suresh Raina
Probable Playing XIs for IND vs PAK:
India
Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy
Pakistan
Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali/Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
Top Picks for IND vs PAK Dream11 Match:
Top Picks – Batters
Rohit Sharma is a big match player and knows how to handle pressure in intense moments. He will open alongside Lokesh Rahul in this match. The Indian vice-captain has scored 2864 runs in his T20I career, which includes 4 centuries and 22 half-centuries.
Babar Azam is not a big hitter of the cricket ball, but knows how to place the ball in the gaps. He likes to take the game deep, and he will hold the key for Pakistan in this match.
Top Picks – All-Rounders
Ravindra Jadeja will be the X-factor for India. He can bat, bowl, and more importantly, he is a brilliant fielder as well.
Veteran cricketer Mohammad Hafeez’s experience will definitely come into play in this match. He didn’t do well in the last couple of warm-up matches, but will still be a good pick for your fantasy teams. He has mustered 2429 runs and has also picked up 60 wickets in this T20I career.
Top Picks – Bowlers
Varun Chakravarthy is the main weapon for India in this World Cup. He can bowl at any stage of the match. The Pakistani batters haven’t faced him before, and it will be a challenge for them to decipher the mystery spinner. He has picked up 2 wickets in his 3 T20Is.
Haris Rauf can take the pace off the ball and he has got a good short delivery as well. He has picked up 28 wickets in his 23 T20Is at an economy of 8.94.
Top Picks – Wicketkeepers
Mohammad Rizwan is a busy player at the crease and knows how to build partnerships in the initial overs. He has a good record for Pakistan in recent times and should be your first choice wicketkeeping option for your fantasy teams.
IND vs PAK Must Picks for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
| Player | Career T20I Stats |
| Rohit Sharma | 2864 runs and one wicket |
| Virat Kohli | 3159 runs and 4 wickets |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 59 wickets |
| Babar Azam | 2204 runs |
| Mohammad Rizwan | 1065 runs |
Suggested Playing XI No.1 for IND vs PAK Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Mohammad Rizwan (vc), Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Ravindra Jadeja, Shadab Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Haris Rauf
Suggested Playing XI No.2 for IND vs PAK Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Rishabh Pant (vc), Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam (c), Lokesh Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Shaheen Afridi
IND vs PAK Risky Captaincy Choices:
It’s still not clear whether Hardik Pandya is going to bowl or not in this World Cup, but even if he doesn’t, his batting will be of utmost importance for the Men in Blue. He is a risky captaincy pick for your fantasy teams.
Fakhar Zaman performed well in the last 2 warm-up matches. The elegant left-handed batted registered scores of 52 and 46*. You can take a risk and pick him as your fantasy team skipper.
Player you should avoid:
Indian batters are very good against spin. Considering this, it’s better to Imad Wasim while making your fantasy teams.
