The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan clash in the T20 World Cup is set to take place on Sunday at the newly constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York City. This marquee game is expected to draw the biggest crowd of the tournament so far. However, the spotlight is on the unpredictable nature of the pitch, which has faced significant criticism for its inconsistency.
In the six innings played at the venue so far, teams have surpassed the 100-run mark only twice, raising concerns about the low-scoring conditions and their impact on promoting the sport in the American market. The uneven bounce of the surface has also raised safety concerns for the batters.
India, coming off a win against Ireland, is well-adjusted to the conditions, but Pakistan, fresh off a shocking loss to debutants USA, is yet to acclimatize. Babar Azam's team has had limited time to prepare for these challenging conditions, which could be a disadvantage heading into this crucial encounter.
The Indian think-tank is expected to continue with an extra specialist fast bowler, but they might consider including Kuldeep Yadav, given his recent form and favorable match-ups against Pakistani batters. Pakistan, on the other hand, will be hoping for their lethal bowling attack, led by Shaheen Afridi, to show up and put their campaign back on track.
Stringent security measures have been enforced by local authorities following an ISIS terror threat, with the Nassau County Police Commissioner likening the arrangements to presidential-level security. Agencies including the FBI and Homeland Security are involved in ensuring the safe conduct of this high-profile contest.
India Squad: Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal
Pakistan Squad: Mohammad Rizwan(w), Babar Azam(c), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim, Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Abbas Afridi
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world News on Zee News.