Build-up To The India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 Match

Just a month is left for the much-awaited arch-rivals clash as India and Pakistan gear up for another memorable encounter during the upcoming edition of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 scheduled to be played at the newly built Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York starting on 9 June, 2024. Both these subcontinental teams are placed in the Group A of the T20I tournament alongside the likes of Ireland, Canada and hosts USA. This will be the first India Pakistan match in T20I cricket after that incredible nail-biting thriller at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the group stage of the 2022 T20 World Cup. In this blog piece, check out the build up towards the India vs Pakistan match in the 2024 T20 World Cup start date scheduled from 2 June, 2022 with West Indies and USA as the joint hosts. 

Build up to the India vs Pakistan ICC T20 World Cup 2024 match

After their bilateral series in 2012, arch-rivals India and Pakistan only face each other at the ICC events due to the political tensions between the two countries. However, it will be really important for both these teams to kickstart their respective campaign in the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup on a positive note. While talking about the India squad at the first place, the Rohit Sharma-led team will desperately be hoping end their 17-run drought of not winning the ICC T20 World Cup title especially after that disappointing heartbreak in the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia at home. Under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, Team India won the inaugural edition of the T20I competition hosted in South Africa in 2007. 

Earlier this year, the Ajit Agarkar-led national selection committee took a big decision as the senior duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma made their return to the T20I format of the game after more than a year. Following India's humiliating 10-wicket loss at the hands of England in the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final, Hardik Pandya was named the captain of the India T20I team. However, looking at Hardik's past injury issues and Rohit's brilliant captaincy in the ODI World Cup at home, things took a big shift and the senior opener was once again handed over the responsibility to lead the national team in another ICC event. 

While talking about India's 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, it is a nicely balanced unit including a mixture of youth and experience. It will surely be a huge challenge for the team management to accomodate the explosive duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube in the same playing XI. With both Rohit and Virat providing solidity in the top-order, India will be needing some firepower in the middle-order with the trio of Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant. 

In the bowling department, India have named as many as four specialist spinners in the squad, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. This also means that they will be playing atleast three spinners in the India playing XI in accordance with the conditions. India's pace bowling department includes Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh. 

Predicted India Playing XI

Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal. 

On the other hand, the cricket news is yet to feature the Pakistan squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024. However, just like India, Pakistan also went back to Babar Azam as their skipper in the white-ball formats despite their poor performance in the ODI World Cup. The duo of left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir and left-arm spinner Imad Wasim are certain to make a return in their World Cup squad. Pakistan are still not settled with their top-order batting line-up as the duo of Mohammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub opening the batting and Babar at No. 3 position. 

The biggest selection decision for the Pakistani team management will be to pick the right pace bowling combination with the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah. While talking about their spin attack, Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim are mainly in contention at this moment. Even if one of these two teams end up losing this India vs Pakistan game, both India and Pakistan are very much certain to qualify for the Super 8 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. 

Predicted Pakistan Playing XI

Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (C), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah/Haris Rauf.