India vs Pakistan Match Prediction: Who will win today's 2024 T20 World Cup match?
Another edition of the T20 World Cup, and another India-Pakistan clash. The scheduling committee has always known what it's doing, and external factors have undoubtedly forced its hand. But fans of the sport won't exactly complain, for one of cricket's greatest rivalries will grace the world stage once again.
Speaking of stages, the Nassau County International Stadium has been in the news, and for all the wrong reasons. Batting has proven difficult at the venue, and more concerningly, some of the pitches on the square seem to be dangerous to the batters.
India and Pakistan have four fast bowlers each and will know what their key to success is on Sunday, June 9. And while both teams are definitely in with a shout, the favorites are abundantly clear.
The Men in Blue come into this contest on the back of a routine win over Ireland, where the bowlers ran riot before the top order got the job done in the chase. They also hold the wood over Pakistan at ICC events, as has been mentioned countless times before.
Babar Azam and company have tons of questions to answer. The skipper and his opening partner Mohammad Rizwan are playing a brand of cricket that was outdated years ago, and Babar also seems unable to control his outbursts on the field. The team simply hasn't gelled well together, and key players are out of form.
All of these shortcomings seriously affected Pakistan in their famous loss to the United States of America. Now, the Men in Green could find themselves staring at an early exit if they don't secure the two points against their arch-rivals.
2024 T20 World Cup: India look to sustain momentum against arch-rivals
Rohit Sharma got some runs in the Ireland fixture, and that would've calmed some of India's nerves. The skipper has been a perennial underperformer in the shortest format, and the side can't afford to have him at anything but his best against Pakistan's fearsome pace attack.
Virat Kohli, who loves playing against Pakistan, will be raring to go after a failure in his first outing of the tournament. With Rishabh Pant seemingly fitting in at No. 3 and the bowlers firing in tandem, India will be confident of their chances.
The Men in Blue opted not to field Kuldeep Yadav against Ireland, and that might not be the wisest move against Pakistan. If Fakhar Zaman can stay at the crease, he could pick apart Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
Despite that threat, India should have enough in the tank to get the job done. Their bowlers looked impressive in the last game, and Pakistan's openers don't add nearly enough impetus in the powerplay to be viewed as a serious match-defining factor.
India rarely play a free brand of cricket when confronted by a quality bowling attack in a high-profile game, and that's a cause for concern. With batting already being tough in New York, they could go into their shell and give Pakistan a way into the contest.
However, it's hard to say whether that will happen on Sunday. India are clearly a more confident, well-rounded team than Pakistan, and they'll be bitterly disappointed if they don't come away with the two points.
Prediction: India to win Match 19 of the 2024 T20 World Cup.