Asia Cup 2023: Predicting 3 players who could score the most runs in today’s India vs Pakistan match ft. Virat Kohli

Team India will lock horns with Pakistan in the third match of Asia Cup 2023 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

While this will be India's first game in the continental tournament, Pakistan thrashed Nepal by 238 runs to begin their campaign on a positive note.

The India-Pakistan rivalry has produced fierce and intense matches in the past. Over the years, both teams have faced each other 132 times in ODIs. While the Men in Blue have emerged victorious 55 times, the team from the other side of the border has won on 73 occasions.

Saturday's fixture is likely to produce another mouth-watering clash in Pallekele. A good competition between the bat and ball is expected and the batters will have to spend some time in the middle before unleashing the shots.

The average first-innings score at the venue in men's ODIs is 248, with only a few innings crossing the 300-run mark.

Both teams have quality batters in their ranks, who can score runs on this wicket. On that note, let's take a look at three batters who could score the most runs in today's India vs Pakistan match.

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#1 Virat Kohli

The Asia Cup will provide Virat Kohli with a perfect platform to prepare for the upcoming ODI World Cup. The former Indian skipper thrives playing against the best bowlers and it would be interesting to see how he gets the better of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf.

Nonetheless, the talismanic batter has been in scintillating form in 50-over cricket this year. He has amassed 427 runs in nine innings at an average of 53.37, including two centuries and one fifty.

Kohli also enjoys a decent record against Pakistan, having scored 536 runs at an average of 48.72 in ODIs, with the help of two hundreds and as many fifties. His career-best ODI of 183 also came against Pakistan during Asia Cup 2012.

If Virat Kohli gets his rhythm, expect him to play a big knock during Saturday's encounter.

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#2 Babar Azam

The Pakistan skipper is currently the top-ranked ODI batter. Babar Azam has been his team's mainstay in the batting and the team will hope he fires against a star-studded Indian attack, comprising Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Kuldeep Yadav.

Babar has already made his presence felt in the Asia Cup 2023 by smashing 151 off 133 balls in Pakistan's first game against Nepal. He will look to carry forward the momentum against the Men in Blue on Saturday.

The right-handed batter has already scored 689 runs from 12 matches this year at an average of 57.41, including two centuries.

Despite all his success over the last few years, Babar hasn't really fired against India so far. He will be desperate to end that streak and lead the team from the front with a big knock in Pallekele.

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#3 Rohit Sharma

The Indian skipper is well-known for stepping up during crunch matches. And the stage can't get bigger than an India vs Pakistan match.

Rohit Sharma scored an excellent hundred when both these teams met last in the 50-over format of the Asia Cup in 2018. The right-handed batter also smashed a 113-ball 140 against the Men in Blue during the 2019 ODI World Cup in England.

Rohit averages over 50 in ODIs against Pakistan, scoring 720 runs in 16 matches, including two tons and six half-centuries.

The Mumbai-born cricketer has been in decent form this year, scoring 383 runs in nine games, and will hope to add some more to his tally against Pakistan on Saturday.