ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Top 5 key player battles to watch out for in IND vs PAK match

The IND vs PAK clash in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be held in Dubai on Sunday.

The biggest contest in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is scheduled for this Sunday. The fiercest cricket rivalry, featuring India and Pakistan, will host its next episode at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

These two teams will take on each other in this much-awaited contest. The last time these sides played in the ICC Champions Trophy was in the 2017 edition’s final, which Pakistan won.

India have gotten off to a winning start in this competition, while Pakistan lost their opening game. This clash will also feature some fiery battles between the players. Let’s see the top five player battles you need to keep an eye on during this upcoming clash.

IND vs PAK: Top five key player battles to watch out for in Match 5, ICC Champions Trophy 2025

1. Rohit Sharma vs Shaheen Afridi

Rohit Sharma will be looking to give India a quick start once again. But he will be up against Shaheen Afridi, who has troubled him in the past.

Shaheen has dismissed Rohit four times in international cricket. Rohit often looks a bit uneasy against left-arm pacers in the initial overs, which is why Shaheen can be a threat for him.

2. Virat Kohli vs Abrar Ahmed

Despite the rough patch, Virat Kohli is still one of the biggest match-winners in ODI cricket. And when it comes to playing against Pakistan, there are not many better Indian performers than him. So, that hope will be there for all Indian fans and a danger for Pakistanis. But in recent times, Virat has found life tough against leg-spinners: five of his last six ODIs dismissals have come to leg-spinners.

That is where Abrar Ahmed can be effective against him. These two have never played against each other. So, it will be interesting to see how Kohli handles Abrar in the middle overs.

3. Shubman Gill vs Naseem Shah

Shubman Gill is at the peak of his form in this format. He has two centuries and two half-centuries in the last four ODI innings, including a ton against Bangladesh in the previous game. He will be looking to do what he does very well: bat breezily and anchor the innings.

Pakistan will want to dismiss him early. That is where Naseem Shah can be vital. He is currently the best Pakistani pacer in terms of rhythm. He can bowl with good pace, and his away swingers are potent. So, this will be a great battle in the power play between two youngsters.

4. Babar Azam vs Mohammed Shami

Babar Azam was the backbone of Pakistan’s batting unit for a long time. He is someone who has the capability to do well against the Indian bowling attack. However, he is under a lot of criticism for his slow knock against New Zealand, and he can undo everything with a match-winning performance in the IND vs PAK game.

But can he do it against Mohammed Shami? These two have come up against each other rarely. Both hold a lot of value for their teams. Shami took a five-wicket haul against Bangladesh and showed that he is gaining his best rhythm back. Hence, this battle could have a big impact on the game.

5. Mohammad Rizwan vs Kuldeep Yadav

Not just Babar Azam but captain Mohammad Rizwan will also be under pressure in the IND vs PAK clash on Sunday because this is a must-win clash for them to keep their semi-finals chances in their own hands. And this is the time for him to play a game-winning knock for the Pakistani skipper.

A tough test for Rizwan will be against Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep has done well against Pakistan in the past, and he will get plenty of purchase from the Dubai pitch. So, this is an exciting middle-overs battle on the cards.

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