Asia Cup 2022: Predicting the top 3 run-getters in India vs Pakistan clash

Team India and Pakistan will resume their cricketing rivalry when they lock horns in the Asia Cup 2022 in Dubai on Sunday (August 28). The two teams met for the last time at the same venue during the T20 World Cup 2021. Pakistan got the better of India on that occasion, thumping the Men in Blue by 10 wickets. This was Pakistan’s first win over their arch-rivals in a World Cup (ODI or T20I).

India and Pakistan have faced each other nine times in T20Is so far. The Indians have a dominant record, having won on six occasions. Pakistan have tasted victory in only two matches, while one contest finished in a tie - the famous 2007 World Cup group clash in Durban. India won the bowl-out to be declared winners of that contest too.

Several big names from both sides will be part of the India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2022 clash in Dubai.

In the build-up to the contest, we predicted the top three run-getters in the match.

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#1 Rohit Sharma

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma. Pic: Getty Images

Rohit Sharma was trapped for a golden duck when the teams met at the T20 World Cup in Dubai last year. He got a near-unplayable delivery from Shaheen Afridi and had to take a long walk back in the first over of the match. Left-arm pace has been Rohit’s Achilles' heel for the majority of his international career.

In the past, he has been troubled by Mohammad Amir and New Zealand’s Trent Boult. While it would be an insult to Rohit’s credentials to say that Afridi’s absence due to injury would give him an advantage, he would definitely be heaving a sigh of relief. To be fair to Rohit, left-arm pacers trouble most right-handed batters if they get their line and lengths right.

The Indian captain has found some batting rhythm in recent times and would be confident of putting up a good showing against Pakistan. The Hitman smashed an unbeaten 76 in the first ODI of the series against England. He did well in the T20Is against the West Indies as well, scoring 64 and 33 in two of the matches.

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#2 Babar Azam

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam. Pic: Getty Images

Rohit’s opposite number, Babar Azam, has been consistency personified across formats. He has continued his amazing run with the willow in recent months. Babar scored 103 and 77 in the home ODIs against West Indies. In the two Tests in Sri Lanka in Galle, he scored a hundred and two fifties in four innings.

The 27-year-old did not let his guard down even during the recent three-match ODI series in the Netherlands. He did well in all three fixtures, registering scores of 74, 57, and 91. Babar will be keen to continue his excellent form with the willow against India as well.

Ahead of their T20 World Cup match against India last year, Pakistan skipper Babar asserted that his side would win the clash even though they had never beaten the Men in Blue in a World Cup game before. His prediction came true as Pakistan battered India by 10 wickets.

Babar himself played a key role in the win with a fluent fifty. The star batter will be keen to come up with another good effort with the willow when the teams meet in the Asia Cup.

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#3 Suryakumar Yadav

Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav. Pic: Getty Images

Australian legend Ricky Ponting recently paid a massive compliment to Suryakumar Yadav when he stated that the Indian batter’s 360-degree play reminded him of AB de Villiers at his peak. Suryakumar made a belated international debut last year, but he has been one of the standout performers for the Men in Blue in white-ball formats.

SKY, as he is fondly referred to, has so far featured in 13 ODIs and 23 T20Is, scoring 340 and 672 runs, respectively. He has already registered five half-centuries as well as a hundred in T20I cricket. The ton, which came in a losing cause against England, was spectacular as Suryakumar played some stunning strokes and single-handedly kept the opponents on their toes.

The right-handed batter was part of the Indian playing XI that went down to Pakistan in the T20 World Cup last year. Suryakumar looked a bit nervous as it was his first match against the neighboring nation and was dismissed for just 11 off eight. However, he has matured tremendously over the last few months.

He would go into the Asia Cup match against Pakistan with a lot more confidence and composure. Expect a big knock from Suryakumar.

See the Asia Cup IND vs PAK H2H matches here on Sportskeeda.

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