Asia Cup 2022: 3 player battles to watch out for from the marquee India vs Pakistan clash

Once again, a billion eyes will be glued to television screens when India take on arch-rivals Pakistan in a Super 4 clash on Sunday (September 4) at the Dubai International Stadium.

India will head into the game after two back-to-back victories from the group stage. The Rohit Sharma-led unit trounced the Men in Green a week ago, before easing past minnows Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Pakistan, on the other hand, fell short in a highly contested game against the Men in Blue, before registering a thumping 155-run win over Hong Kong - Pakistan's biggest ever T20I win in terms of runs.

The iconic fixture between India and Pakistan has produced some of the most memorable games in the tournament and is set to be a tantalizing encounter yet again. Undoubtedly, players from both sides will be eager to stand out under the glare of the spotlight to etch their names into history.

On that note, let's take a look at the three top player battles from the highly-anticipated Asia Cup encounter between India and Pakistan.

#3 KL Rahul (IND) vs Naseem Shah (PAK)

Pakistan v India - KL Rahul went for a golden duck in the all-important fixture [Pic Credit: Getty Images]

Despite being a prolific T20 batter, KL Rahul has seen a major dip in form since making his return from an injury. The Indian vice-captain has looked rusty so far and has registered mediocre scores of 0(1) and 36(39) in the two Asia Cup fixtures.

Mohammad Kaif backs KL Rahul’s batting approach 🏏

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Rahul will have his task cut out once again when he goes up against man-in-form Naseem Shah. The Pakistani speedster, who can clock up more than 140 kmph regularly, has looked ominous so far and can unsettle Rahul, as was the case in the last meeting.

#2 Bhuvneshwar Kumar (IND) vs Babar Azam (PAK)

Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be a key figure for India against Pakistan in the Asia Cup clash India v Hong Kong - DP World Asia Cup

Expected to take the Asia Cup by storm, Babar Azam's shoddy run at the top has raised eyebrows. The Pakistani skipper has failed to contribute to his side so far, scoring just 19 runs in two games.

It's high time for Azam to cash in on the powerplay overs and walk the talk with a match-winning knock in the crunch fixture.

India's primary game plan to tackle Pakistan's threat of Azam will be to use Bhuvneshwar Kumar's new-ball exploits. The veteran seamer trumped Azam in the last affair, outfoxing him with a surprise bouncer.

India will expect Bhuvneshwar to come good and cut short Azam's stay at the crease early yet again.

#1 Virat Kohli (IND) vs Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan (PAK)

Virat Kohli will have to nullify Pakistan's spin threat.

After suffering from a long dry patch, Virat Kohli has garnered some crucial runs under his belt in the Asia Cup. He has been India's leading run-getter in the tournament so far, with 94 runs in the two games at a strike rate of 120.

While Kohli will be rearing to give his best once again tonight, Pakistan will aim to keep the Indian batter at bay by challenging him with spin.

Not a good T20 player! 😳

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif talks about Virat Kohli 🇮🇳🇵🇰

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Kohli’s discomfort against the spinners who move the ball away from him could be a factor Pakistan vice-captain Shadab Khan and left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz could capitalize on. The two wrist-spinners have bagged ten wickets between them so far in the competition and even troubled the Indian batters in the previous fixture.

The battle between Kohli's determination and grit and Pakistan's spin duo of Nawaz and Shadab could well be the highlight of the high-octane clash.