ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: A combined playing XI comprising of players from India and Pakistan
It is just a matter of time before ICC Cricket World Cup gets underway in England and Wales. This edition of the showpiece event in international cricket promises to be nothing short of a spellbinder. As of this writing, all the teams are busily involved in their warm-up games and will be looking to make the most of the road to the beginning of the World Cup.
The high-voltage matches are going to matter the most for all the ten sides and they will be required to in their absolute best. All the teams look well-balanced, especially those from the subcontinent and two teams in focus will be India and Pakistan.
The neighboring teams also have an intense rivalry, one that sees the world stop to watch when these Asian giants play against each other. As far as the World Cup record is concerned, India has two title wins (1983 & 2011) and Pakistan has one (1992).
Over the years, both these teams have given a platform for a number of talented players to make a mark in world cricket. Even in this World Cup, the two teams promise to unveil certain talented players while also featuring proven match-winners.
In this article, we put together a team comprising of the best playing XI from across both the cricketing rivals.
Opening batsmen: Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan
Choosing an opening combination from these two sides is a very daunting task as all the openers have a solid record. Fakhar Zaman and Imam Ul Haq shared a 304-run opening stand against Zimbabwe which is the second highest ODI opening partnership.
In the same match, Zaman registered the first double hundred by a Pakistan player but when it comes down to double tons, India's batting order is bolstered by the presence of Rohit Sharma, who has three double centuries to his credit. What's more, Sharma's alliance with Shikhar Dhawan has added flair to the art of opening the innings.
They have their own highest opening partnership of 210, which they amassed against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2018. Additionally, the pair have notched more than 4500 runs together which will see the experienced duo have a slight advantage over the impressive Pakistan openers.
Also read - World cup most man of the match