Asia Cup 2022: 3 Indian players who have a good T20I record vs Pakistan
India have emerged victorious in seven of the nine T20Is they've played against Pakistan. Although their most recent meeting ended in a comprehensive 10-wicket victory for the latter, the Men in Blue will be quietly confident of keeping their superior record going on August 28, when they take on their arch-rivals in their first match of the 2022 Asia Cup.
Understandably, most members of India's Asia Cup squad have rarely played against Pakistan in T20I cricket. Nine of their players have only a combined three matches against their northern neighbors, while three others have indifferent records. On the flip side, a few have experienced a few memorable moments against Pakistan in the shortest format of the game.
Here are three Indian players who have fared decently against Pakistan in T20I cricket.
#3 Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya has already dished out a few impressive performances against Pakistan in white-ball cricket. His heroic knock in the 2017 Champions Trophy final is still fresh in memory, while he also contributed in both departments in their 2019 World Cup clash. Even in T20I cricket, although he has played only three games, he has one display of note.
In the 2016 Asia Cup, Pandya scalped three wickets while conceding only eight runs in 3.3 overs. Pakistan were bowled out for 83, and although he bagged a duck in the chase, Virat Kohli's splendid 49 under trying conditions got India over the line in the 16th over.
Pandya failed to deliver in India's 2021 T20 World Cup encounter against the same opposition, but he has shown real signs of stepping up on the big stage against Pakistan. The Men in Blue will want more of the same from their premier all-rounder on August 28.
#2 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's T20I debut against Pakistan is the stuff of legend. In 2012, the swing bowler completely bamboozled Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal to finish with figures of 3/9 in four overs. He was carted for 46 runs only three days later, but has returned decent figures in three of his four meetings against Pakistan.
Bhuvneshwar has earned a new lease of life as a T20 bowler over the last year or so, having become a vital cog in India's wheel by overcoming a few painful injury setbacks. He will be the team's lead bowler in the Asia Cup, with the squad consisting of only three pacers.
#1 Virat Kohli
If there's one man who always steps up in an India-Pakistan clash, it's Kohli. His scores against the Men in Green in T20Is make for astounding reading - 78*, nine, 27, 36*, 49, 55* and 57. The former Indian skipper averages 77.75 against Pakistan in T20I cricket, and while his strike rate of 118.5 may not be the most impressive, he has played crucial knocks in highly challenging environments.
Kohli has been going through a prolonged lean patch, and many experts believe that the Asia Cup will be his last chance at finding some form ahead of the T20 World Cup. India will need their second-highest T20I run-scorer to produce some runs in the UAE.