IND vs PAK: India playing XI vs Pakistan, Match 12, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 - Predicted

India will lock horns with Pakistan on October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Team India have started the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 brilliantly. They beat the five-time champions Australia in their opening game and then thrashed Afghanistan in their second match in Delhi. The team is looking pretty good and have ticked all the boxes in both games. Batters are scoring runs, and bowlers are taking wickets.

But their next challenge will be more intense. India will face arch-rivals Pakistan in their next game on Saturday, which will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Pakistan are also coming off two consecutive wins, so India will not write them off. Here we will talk about the predicted playing XI for India against Pakistan.

IND vs PAK: India's Predicted playing XI vs Pakistan

1. Rohit Sharma (C):

The Indian captain Rohit Sharma was unstoppable in the last game. He smashed a 63-ball ton and hit the bowlers in all parts. Rohit will be the key at the top for India and the biggest threat. Because if he can stay at the crease for the first ten overs, India will get a lot of momentum for their side. Rohit Sharma smashed a century against Pakistan last time they faced each other in an ODI World Cup match in 2019.

2. Ishan Kishan/Shubman Gill:

Shubman Gill has reached Ahmedabad on Wednesday and has recovered from dengue. Gill will play the game if he is fully fit, and it will be a pretty good result for India because, in the form he is in, he can take on the bowlers any day.

On the other hand, Ishan Kishan will be the backup choice, and he has opened in the last two games. Ishan is coming off a decent innings of 47 runs against Afghanistan and played a brilliant knock the last time he batted against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023.

Depending on Shubman Gill's fitness before the toss, India will include either of the openers in the playing XI.

3. Virat Kohli:

Virat Kohli will be the biggest headache for Pakistan, as he has been whenever these two teams have met in multinational tournaments. Virat has always scored runs against the Men in Green and is also coming off two back-to-back half-centuries in this tournament. Thus, Pakistan will hope that somehow they can get his wicket, or else he will be the man.

4. Shreyas Iyer:

After getting out for a duck against Australia, Shreyas Iyer looked good against Afghanistan and stayed till the end with 25 not out. He is in good form and has been a consistent No. 4 for India in ODIs. Iyer's ability to play the spin well makes him a crucial player in the middle overs, and he can take on Pakistani spinners pretty well.

5. KL Rahul (wk):

KL Rahul has been in tremendous form since his return from injury. The right-hander has scored runs when it matters a lot. He smashed a hundred against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 on his comeback game and has never looked back since then. Rahul will be very important for the Indian middle-order because he can take the game long and away from Pakistan.

6. Hardik Pandya:

Just like Virat, Hardik Pandya is another Indian player who has always performed against Pakistan. His all-round ability gives the team excellent balance, and he is a key player in this team. Pakistan will be tested against him in both departments. Hardik is also in great form, and he will like to carry it on in Ahmedabad, which is his home ground.

7. Ravindra Jadeja:

Not just Hardik; spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is another key player in this team. He is valuable in all three departments and has the ability to win games in any situation. Jadeja has bowled well in this tournament so far and was the best bowler against Australia.

8. Shardul Thakur/Mohammed Shami:

Shardul Thakur is another capable bowling all-rounder in this lineup. He played his first game against Afghanistan and finished at 1/31. If India looks to strengthen the batting, then he will get the nod, and we might see him making some impact with the ball.

However, India can also opt for Mohammed Shami, who is waiting on the bench. Shami can be a pretty difficult bowler to face, as some of the Pakistani players have not faced him. If he gets a chance in the team, then India's bowling attack will be formidable.

9. Kuldeep Yadav:

Pakistan will be aware of the Kuldeep Yadav factor in the middle overs. Kuldeep did the most damage the last time these two teams met. He ran through the batting order and took five wickets. Some Pakistani batters have found it hard to get going against quality spin, and Kuldeep can surely use that once again.

10. Jasprit Bumrah:

Jasprit Bumrah has been one standout pacer in this tournament so far. He is the most impactful bowler for India and has already taken six wickets in two matches. It is pretty rare to see batters taking on him which makes him very important. Bumrah's first spell will decide that which way the match can turn.

11. Mohammed Siraj:

Mohammed Siraj had an off-day against Afghanistan, and he went for plenty without taking a wicket. But not to forget, he is the No. 2 ranked ODI bowler in the world. Siraj has been in tremendous form and can extract some help from the pitch in Ahmedabad. He is always in the faces of the batters, which can make a batter lose his temper and go for rash shots.