Asia Cup 2022: India vs Pakistan - 5 Player battles to watch out for

The 15th edition of the Asia Cup is set to begin in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 27, Saturday. Six teams, divided into two groups of three teams each, will participate in the tournament. And this will be only the second time, after the 2016 edition, that the T20 format will be used in the competition.

India, Pakistan and Hong Kong are in Group A, and Group B comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The top two teams from each group will qualify for Super 4, and the top two teams from the second stage will qualify for the final, which will be played on September 11.

Defending champions India’s campaign will commence on Sunday, as they square off with their arch-rivals, Pakistan. The iconic fixture of India versus Pakistan has produced some of the most memorable games in the tournament and is set to be a mouth-watering fixture yet again.

Here are five player battles from India vs Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022 to watch out for:

1. Virat Kohli vs Shadab Khan

The India-Pakistan game in the Asia Cup 2022 will be Virat Kohli’s first game since the India tour of England in July. This, in some ways, could be an audition for Kohli, going into the T20 World Cup in Australia in October, given his recent form with the bat.

Kohli is going through one of his worst phases with the bat and a good game against the arch-rivals in a major tournament would be just the thing that might get him going again. However, he would be mindful of the threat the Pakistan vice-captain, Shadab Khan would pose given his struggles against leg-spinners.

Shadab is one of the best spinners of the white ball at the moment, with his subtle variations and a deadly wrong’un. He has picked up 73 wickets in T20Is with an economy rate of 7.11 and has a good amount of experience playing in the UAE. He could pose a genuine threat to Kohli and the rest of the Indian batters.