Asia Cup 2022: Best India-Pakistan XI of the tournament

India and Pakistan played some mouth-watering cricket in the Asia Cup 2022. There has been not much to separate between the two and the arch-rivals were involved in two humdingers to behold to leave the cricket fraternity in awe. Both the teams have been T20I powerhouses and have unearthed gems in the shortest format. In this multi-nation tournament, many players rose to the occasion and delivered for their side. While many felt that India and Pakistan will face each other in the final of Asia Cup, it was Sri Lanka who surprised everyone and came up with a spirted effort in order to win the trophy for the sixth time. As for India vs Pakistan, both teams won a game each and here we bring you the best XI among the two teams based on the performances in the tournament. Let us look at the best India-Pakistan XI of the tournament 1. Mohammad Rizwan (wk) Mohammad Rizwan is the rock of Pakistan's batting lineup and was brilliant with the bat in the tournament. He ended the tournament as the top run-getter scoring 281 runs at a strike rate of 117.57 in five matches. The 30-year-old stood tall at one end and allowed the power-hitters to unleash at the other end. He was one of the prime figures when Pakistan aced the chase against India. Rizwan shielded Pakistan’s top-order and did not let their skipper Babar Azam's poor form affect the team. He was instrumental in leading the Men in Green to the Asia Cup finals. His half-century in the chase in final of the tournament. 2. Rohit Sharma (C) Rohit Sharma had a decent outing with the bat in the Asia Cup 2022. The Indian skipper gave the Men in Blue quick starts and laid the foundation for the rest of the batters to cash in. Rohit scored 133 runs at a strike rate of 151.14 and this includes his breathtaking knock of 72 runs off 41 balls against Sri Lanka. He took the attack to the opposition from the get-go. His being in great touch allowed his opening partner KL Rahul to take his time. The 35-year-old has been a believer in playing a fearless brand of cricket and led from the front by playing aggressively at the start of the innings. Rohit being in good touch is great for the Men in Blue in the build-up to the upcoming T20 World Cup. 3. Virat Kohli Virat Kohli came into the tournament on the back of a break and a lean patch with the bat. There were concerns regarding his form but he put all those to rest in this Asia Cup. The 33-year-old had a stellar season with the bat and was back being the run machine for the Men in Blue. Kohli piled on 276 runs at a strike rate of 147.59. He also ended his century drought with an incredible 122* runs off 61 balls against Afghanistan. The veteran batter displayed his batting range in the blistering knock. The former Indian captain shepherded the innings beautifully and enabled the stroke-makers to play freely. He has been a linchpin of Indian batting and coming back to form will be India’s biggest plus in a rather disappointing Asia Cup campaign. 4. Suryakumar Yadav Suryakumar Yadav has been in a rich vein of form since he broke into the Indian T20I setup. Again, in this tournament, he continued with his amazing run with the bat. The 31-year-old scored 139 runs at a strike rate of 163.53. Suryakumar played an astonishing knock of 68* against Hong Kong and showcased why he is so highly rated. His ability to play all across the ground was on display in that game. India's 360-degree batter in the game against Sri Lanka showed a different aspect of his game. He played the situation and stitched a vital partnership with skipper Rohit. The inclusion of Suryakumar has added flexibility to the Indian batting order as he can shepherd the innings and also play as a finisher. 5. Khushdil Shah Khushdil Shah has been the impact player for Pakistan in the middle order. The southpaw scored runs at a strike-rate of striking at 120.83 in the six matches he played. Khushdil played a majestic knock of 35* runs off 15 deliveries against Hong Kong that consisted of five sixes. Also, he took his side home with a handy 14* runs in a last-over thriller against Rohit & Co. at the Super Four stage. Khushdil has always been a spin-destroyer but he showcased his pace-hitting prowess in this competition. The Men in Green will be banking on him to finish the innings on a high going forward. 6. Hardik Pandya Hardik Pandya had a decent outing for the Men in Blue in this Asian tournament. In the three matches played, the ace all-rounder scored 50 runs at a strike rate of 156.25 and took four crucial wickets. Hardik was the chief architect when India defeated Pakistan in the Group stage where he shone both with the bat and bowl. Also, the veteran all-rounder completed his full quota of overs in all the matches played and he being bowling fit is a great sign for India with T20 World Cup around the corner. The 28-year-old plays the role of a finisher and is more than handy with the the ball. He brings the much-needed balance to the side and can be stated as one of the most important members of the Indian setup. 7. Shadab Khan Shadab Khan played a crucial role in Pakistan’s road to Asia Cup 2022 finals. The 23-year-old dented opposition teams with wickets at regular intervals and gave some crucial contributions with the bat. In the five games, he took eight wickets at an economy of 5.79. In the crunch game against Afghanistan, his batting skills were on display as he played a match-defining inning of 36 runs off 26 deliveries to take Pakistan closer to victory. Shadab is a vital cog in the Pakistan setup as he provides balance to the side with his all-round abilities. The stocks of Mianwali-born have been on the rise and the Pakistan camp would hope that he continues his awesome run with bat and bowl. 8. Mohammad Nawaz Mohammad Nawaz had a memorable outing in the multi-nation tournament. The 28-year-old took joint-most number of wickets for the Men in Green and proved to be more than useful with the bat. Nawaz took eight wickets in five matches at an economy of 5.89. He has delivered for his side time and again at crucial junctures of the game. In the game against India, he also showed his batting might. The southpaw was sent in as a pinch-hitter at No.4 to exploit the favourable matchup and he did not disappoint. He played an incredible knock of 42 runs off 20 deliveries to put his side in a strong position. Nawaz adds to the batting depth of the team and has been a proven performer with the bat and bowl. 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been at his consistent best this tournament. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, he has carried the mantle of Indian pace-attack and bowled superbly. The 32-year-old took 11 wickets at an economy of 6.05. Bhuvneshwar’s few of the best bowling performances came in this tournament. In the game against Pakistan in the group stage, he took an incredible 4-fer to restrict Babar & Co to a below-par score. In Afghanistan’s game, the Meerut-born bowled a spell for the ages to dismantle Nabi & Co on his own. He took a 5-fer and gave way just four runs. Bhuvneshwar has been the tone-setter with the ball and the team management would hope the veteran bowler carries on the good work. 10. Naseem Shah Naseem Shah was sensational in Asia Cup 2022. He has got his team to an ideal start with the ball and it hardly seems the youngster made his T20I debut in this tournament. The speedster took six wickets in four matches at an economy of 7. In his debut game against India, he took wickets at crucial junctures to bring his team back in the game. The 19-year-old was consistent with his performances since then. Naseem also showcased his great temperament on the big stage. In the game against Afghanistan, he displayed his batting prowess as he struck two back-to-back sixes to take his side over the line. The Peshawar-born has shown a lot of promise and is an exciting prospect for the Men in Green. 11. Arshdeep Singh Arshdeep Singh has been one of the most promising youngsters in the Indian circuit. He came into the Asia Cup 2022 on the back of a good outing against the West Indies and performed decently in the Asia Cup. The 23-year-old picked five wickets this series without leaking a lot of runs. Arshdeep was seen as a death-overs specialist and did fairly well. Despite being on the losing end in a few games, the youngster showed a lot of determination in stretching the game towards the end. Arshdeep though a work-in-progress as far as his powerplay bowling is concerned, the Men in Blue will back the yorker-specialist considering what he brings to the table. A left-arm pacer who can bowl at the death is any captain’s dream.

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Asia Cup 2022: Best India-Pakistan XI of the tournament

Many players from India and Pakistan have risen to the occasion and delivered for their side.

4. Suryakumar Yadav

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