The Indian cricket team, following a strong win against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy, is set to face Pakistan in their next match. Shubman Gill shone in the opener with a century, establishing high expectations. While the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Gill is unchanged, Virat Kohli remains at No. 3 despite recent struggles, having prepared intensively for the match. The middle order includes Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. All-rounders like Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya enhance the team’s balance. There may be a potential change in spinners, with Varun Chakravarthy considered over Kuldeep Yadav. The likely playing XI includes Sharma, Gill, Kohli, Iyer, Rahul, Pandya, Patel, Jadeja, and either Yadav or Chakravarthy, alongside pacers Shami and Rana.
Following a dominant win against Bangladesh in their Champions Trophy opener, the Indian cricket team prepares to face their longstanding rivals Pakistan in their second Group B match on Sunday. Shubman Gill shone in the previous game, scoring an impressive century that set the tone early on. While India managed to tick most boxes in their tournament opener, a change can be anticipated as Rohit Sharma’s squad encounters Mohammad Rizwan’s team in their next match, particularly considering the composition of the opposing side.
Openers: The partnership of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill remains unchanged at the top of the batting order. The duo combined for 69 runs for the first wicket against Bangladesh, with Rohit providing a strong start for the team.
Middle-Order: Virat Kohli, despite a recent dip in form, is expected to maintain his position at No. 3 in the batting lineup. He reportedly invested 3 extra hours in the nets focusing on his technique against spinners ahead of the clash with Pakistan. Kohli’s performance will be crucial for India’s chances against Rizwan’s team. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are set to join him at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.
All-Rounders: Under head coach Gautam Gambhir, the number of all-rounders in the Indian squad has notably increased. Players like Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Hardik Pandya provide exceptional balance to the team, while Harshit Rana could also contribute effectively with the bat.
Spinners: Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja played as India’s spinners against Bangladesh, but Varun Chakravarthy could be introduced as a replacement for Kuldeep in the match against Pakistan, should skipper Rohit and coach Gambhir decide on a change. This is the only alteration India is likely to implement.
Pacers: Given the performances of Harshit Rana and Mohammed Shami against Bangladesh, both are expected to retain their spots in the playing XI against Pakistan, with no room for Arshdeep Singh.
India’s likely playing XI vs Pakistan: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav/Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Shami, and Harshit Rana.
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