Image Source : AP PHOTO/AIJAZ RAHI
India’s captain Virat Kohli, left, and Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam shake hands after the toss ahead of the Cricket Twenty20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan in Dubai, UAE, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021.
INDIA 151/7 (20 OVERS)
10:00 PM: India Match Report
Skipper Virat Kohli wasn’t at his fluent best but his 57 off 49 balls was the saving grace in India’s middling score of 151 for seven against Pakistan in their opening Super 12 match of the ICC T20 World Cup on Sunday.
His 29th half-century in T20 Internationals wasn’t as good as some of his other innings but considering that he diffused a potentially troubling situation created by Shaheen Shah Afridi’s (3/31 in 4 overs) menacing opening spell, this knock was significant.
Shaheen also did his bit at the death, removing the Indian skipper in the penultimate over.
Kohli got support from Rishabh Pant (39 off 30 balls) during a 53-run stand but had to do the bulk of heavy lifting in a pressure cooker scenario, something he has been accustomed to for the past one decade.
His innings had five fours and a six as India managed a score which would give the bowlers at least something to fight for on a track that can’t exactly be called batting-friendly.
7:10 PM: Virat Kohli opined that his side doesn’t mind batting first asserting that toss is not in his control. India has left out senior spinner R Ashwin and there is no Shardul Thakur also. The other two players missing out are Ishan Kishan and Rahul Chahar.
7:01 PM: India vs Pakistan Toss Live T20 World Cup: Pakistan win toss; opt to bowl
Pakistan captain Babar Azam has opted to field first after winning toss against Virat Kohli-led India in Super 12 match of T20 World Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
Kohli opted for Varun Chakravarthy over R Ashwin as spinner while Ravindra Jadeja is the other spinner. Check out the playing XI of both the sides below:
7:00 PM: Toss Update: Pakistan won the Toss, opt to bowl first against India.