Asia Cup 2022: Match 8 India vs Pakistan - Match Preview, Predicted Playing XI, Live Streaming

Babar Azam-Rohit Sharma (Image source- Twitter)

Asia Cup 2022 group stages are done and teams have qualified for the Super Fours round. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have made it to the Super Fours round and each team will play in a round-robin format. The top two from the table will play in the finals of the tournament.

Team India has been excellent in the Asia Cup 2022 on the back of victories against Pakistan and Hong Kong. Pakistan, on the other hand, lost to India in the first match and won against Hong Kong in the second. The two teams will lock horns yet again in the Super Fours round of the Asia Cup 2022. 

Here's the match preview for match eight of the Asia Cup 2022 between India and Pakistan:

Team News

India

India has done well so far. They won the first match against Pakistan in a thriller and the second match against Hong Kong by 40 runs. The only concern for the team would be their bowling department. Avesh Khan is the only player from the bowling department who needs to step up to the international level. 

Players to watch out for:

1) KL Rahul:

KL Rahul has had a poor run with the bat in the Asia Cup 2022 as he bagged only 36 runs in the second match. However, he'll be a player to watch out for as fans are expecting to fire in the next match against Pakistan in the Super Fours round. 

2) Rohit Sharma:

Rohit Sharma, the Indian skipper, has not fired yet in the Asia Cup. India is missing a strong opening partnership, and he'll look to make up for it in the next match against Pakistan. If he fires, then rest assured, India can get a decent total on board. 

3) Yuzvendra Chahal:

The spin star went wicketless against Pakistan and was not at his best against Hong Kong. The next match against Pakistan will be a crucial one for India and he'll look to step his game up for the team. 

Predicted Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan

Pakistan:

Pakistan failed to emulate their very best in the first match against India as they lost the match in the last-over thriller. However, the team bounced back harder in the next match against Hong Kong and dismissed them for just 38 runs and won the match by 155 runs. No surprise if Pakistan manages to clinch a win against the Men in Blue tomorrow, having known that they lost the first match only in the last over. 

Players to watch out for:

1) Mohammad Rizwan: 

Mohammad Rizwan was breathing fire in the last match against Hong Kong. Albeit he struggles with strike rate issues, he'll be crucial for the Men in Green going forward. His contribution to the team against the Men in Blue will be crucial. 

2) Babar Azam:

Babar Azam, the man in form, has surprisingly looked out of touch and has not done well so far. He'll be important for Pakistan up front and the skipper must score some runs for his team to win. 

3) Naseem Shah:

Naseem Shah troubled the Indian batters the other night and Hong Kong batters last night. He'll look to be a great prospect for Pakistan and he'll once again look to mess up with Indian batters. The young pacer might even bag a five-for against the Men in Blue. 

Predicted Playing XI: Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani.

Pitch Report:

The pitch in Dubai will be tricky and the team winning the toss must elect to bowl first. It has something in it for pacers and they can make the best use of the initial movement. The average first-inning score at this ground is 160.

Match Details:

Asia Cup 2022, Match 8 India vs Pakistan

Date: 4th September 2022

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Venue: Dubai International Stadium

Live Telecast: Star Sports Network

Live Streaming: Disney Hotstar