ICC Champions Trophy 2017: India vs Pakistan, Six players who can win the game single-handedly

The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 is set to witness its biggest crowd when arch-rivals India and Pakistan take on each other in Birmingham on Sunday. Both teams come into the tournament with a completely contrasting build-up. While India are in their prime having beaten New Zealand and England in recent ODI series, Pakistan have dropped to no.8 in the ODI rankings.

Pakistan have a new skipper but are once again surrounded by fixing allegations, this time in the PSL. They have a strong pace bowling attack, their biggest positive going into the multi-nation event. They will also take some positives from the fact that they chased down a massive 341 against Bangladesh in the warm-up game.

Extra Cover: ICC Champions Trophy 2017: India have an edge over Pakistan

India have a settled top order and some pretty steady bowlers. Like Pakistan, they boast of a settled pace bowling unit consisting of some good new ball bowlers and terrific death bowlers. All eyes will be on India's batting vs Pakistan's bowling as the teams clash in Birmingham.

Here we take a look at six players capable of winning the game for their team on their own.

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#6 Mohammad Amir

The last time these two teams clashed on the international stage, Mohammad Amir ripped through India's top order with a brilliant spell of swing and seam bowling (World T20 2016). He couldn't quite win the game for Pakistan but the left-hand seamer impressed one and all with his spell that day.

The rain threat will be good news for Pakistan and Amir in particular who enjoys bowling in overcast conditions. India's top order batsmen aren't the best while dealing with swing and Amir might be just too good for them if conditions suit him. He is one bowler who can take the game away in a flash.

#5 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma would be eager to make a mark in the big clash

The talented Indian opener is coming off the back of a rather long hiatus from the national team. He had a pretty ordinary IPL by his own standards and did not make runs in the warm-up games either. While he should be a definite starter for the game, Rohit knows he needs some big runs at the top.

The 'Hitman', as he is fondly called, relishes pitches where the ball comes on to the bat and the conditions in England this time around might well suit his style of batting. Rohit Sharma is an unstoppable force when he gets going and Pakistan would be wary of a big innings from him.

#4 Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik is a key figure in the Pakistan middle-order

Shoaib Malik has found his way back to the Pakistan ODI team and is the anchor in Pakistan's middle-order. An extremely good player of pace and spin alike, Malik relishes playing against India. He is the last Pakistani to score a hundred in the Champions Trophy, in 2009, against India.

While the focus has largely been on Babar Azam, Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed in the build-up to the tournament, Malik, in his sixth consecutive Champions Trophy, has been in the shadows. The 35-year-old sure knows a thing or two about big games and is one man Pakistan will bank on.

#3 Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav will look to restrict the Pakistani batsmen with pace and bounce

Umesh Yadav loves bowling with the new ball especially when the conditions suit him. Like Mohammad Amir, Umesh can get the new ball to talk and he will bowl at a Pakistan batting line-up that has been exposed quite often in the past.

The Kolkata Knight Riders fast bowler had a good IPL and also enjoyed sound returns in the warm-up game against Bangladesh last week. If recent form is anything to go by, Umesh should start for India. In English conditions, one spell could change a game and Umesh is somebody who could inflict damage early on.

#2 Babar Azam

Babar Azam has enjoyed his honeymoon period in international cricket but the real test begins now

Dubbed as the new pillar of Pakistan's batting line-up, Babar Azam has been making runs aplenty in the past few months. He is Pakistan's highest run-scorer in 2017 in ODIs and will be responsible for anchoring Pakistan's inexplicably implodable batting.

He smashed three hundreds in succession against West Indies to kick start his ODI career and has not looked back since. Big players step up in big tournaments and this might be the right time for the young Azam to peak. He hasn't yet faced India which would mean he is still a relative unknown in the opposition camp.

#1 Virat Kohli

The most talked about cricketer in the world will once again be in the spotlight

Just how important Kohli is to the Indian line-up cannot be expressed in words. Kohli loves a battle and he will have his hands full when India take on Pakistan in Birmingham. He was at the helm of India's triumphs the last two times these sides met in an ICC event.

Captains play a vital role in India-Pakistan games and with the added pressure of a multi-nation tournament, it will be interesting to see how Kohli shapes up. There is no doubting the fact that he will be the most watched player when the two giants clash.