India vs Pakistan CT- Key Battles

The biggest clash in the history of Cricket is once again set to take centerstage come the 23rd of February 2025 when two Asian nations with a rich & emotional history in cricket & geographically will be colliding against each other in Dubai. Yes!, It is time for India vs Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy. In head-to-head records, Pakistan dominates the Indian side with a 3-2 ratio. on the form front, Team India is coming off after registering a great win & whereas the hosts of the tournament lost their first game against the Kiwis by 60 runs. Hence, pushing them into a must-win territory already.

When & Its India vs Pakistan the most talked about thing are the key battles that'll decide the fate of this match & in this case even Pakistan's fate. On that note, let's have a look at the top 5 key battles for this epic clash.

India vs Pakistan- Key Battles

1. Rohit Sharma vs Shaheen Shah Afridi

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has been one of the star batters of the sides in the last decade or so smashing sixes & fours with that oozing clash makes him one of the best batters to watch live. However, among those shots, there are a few chinks in his armory that have been exposed time & again in recent times.

Pakistan's leading seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi has dismissed Rohit Sharma 2 times in ODIs in 3 matches while Rohit scored just 48 runs in 56 balls. This battle is a key battle as Rohit will look to play that aggressive role again & Shaheen has that swinging yorker which can prove to be a nemesis for Rohit Sharma early on in the innings.

2. Virat Kohli vs Abrar Ahmed

Even though both Virat & Abrar haven't clashed against each other with Virat's recent form against wrist spin being a cause of concern this could prove to be a massive matchup in this epic clash. In the last 6 ODIs, Virat Kohli has been dismissed 5 times an alarming sign for him & team India.

3. Shubman Gill vs Haris Rauf

Shubman Gill, the centurion from the last game could face a challenge from Haris Rauf who has dismissed him once in ODI cricket 3 meetings. Gill has managed to score just 11 runs against Rauf in 18 balls at a strike rate of just 61. Rauf, even though hasn't been in the best of forms this matchup might just get him back into rhythm.

4. Babar Azam vs Kuldeep Yadav

Perhaps One of the most important matchups in this epic clash. Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam has had a tough time with the bat in recent times, Things aren't gonna get easy for Babar as yet as he'll be up against India's magician Kuldeep Yadav who's got Babar Azam out twice in ODI Cricket in 4 meetings scoring a paltry 28 runs in 53 balls against Yadav at a lowly strike rate of 53 while his average falls to just 14.

5. Mohammed Shami vs Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan had a poor outing against the Kiwis & would be hungry to make a mark in this big-ticket clash against India. While Rizwan has scored 50s against India it'll be important for team India to stop Rizwan from settling into the game. Hence, in this case, Shami is the ideal match who can restrict Rizwan's trigger movements.