Battle of the Titans: Will Virat Kohli or Babar Azam Reign Supreme? Shaheen Afridi Set to Renew Rivalry with Rohit Sharma: SWOT Analysis of India vs Pakistan Match

The highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy is just around the corner, as both teams gear up to face off at the Dubai International Stadium this Sunday. In what promises to be a thrilling encounter, the teams will need to stay focused and composed to secure a victory. It will be a test of nerves and skill, and the team that handles the pressure best will emerge victorious.

Heading into the contest, Mohammad Rizwan and co are definitely feeling the heat, having lost the tournament opener in Karachi against New Zealand. Star batter Babar Azam is coping severe criticism for his slow 64-run knock off 90 balls when Pakistan were set a target of 321.

However, Babar Azam has the perfect stage to show his class. Coming up against Virat Kohli might just be the perfect fuel for the right-hander to show he belongs in the big league.

On the other hand, India are entering the contest with confidence as Rohit Sharma and company defeated Bangladesh by six wickets and 21 balls to spare. However, India would know not to take Pakistan easy as the latter has defeated them two times in Dubai -- T20 World Cup 2021 and 2022 Asia Cup.

Pakistan have forever been an unpredictable side as they are known to start off tournaments slowly. Mohammad Rizwan's side need to win against India to stay alive in the tournament.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf need to join the party for Pakistan if they want to progress to the semi-finals. Shaheen has previously created problems for Rohit and Virat Kohli up top, and he will once again be the go-to guy for Pakistan.

Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out of the tournament and Imam-ul-Haq has been named as his replacement. Pakistan has been criticised for lack of intent up top and this is the major weakness heading into the contest against India. The pressure is firmly on Babar Azam and it needs to be seen whether he changes his approach up top or not.

The middle-order of Salman Ali Agha and Khushil Shah played impressive knocks against New Zealand and this is the one major positive that Pakistan will take from their previous match. However, heading into the contest, it is India that firmly have their noses in front.

Coming back to India, Rohit Sharma and co displayed a clinical performance against Bangladesh. Mohammed Shami got the much-needed time in the middle and he returned with five wickets. The spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav also bowled economically.

However, the lack of wickets in the middle overs will be a cause of concern for India. Harshit Rana was picked ahead of Arshdeep Singh and he took three wickets. Hence, he is likely to maintain his spot.

Coming to the batting, the biggest cause of concern is Virat Kohli's form. The batter has been repeatedly getting out to spin. Left-arm spin has emerged as his big nemesis. However, Virat is a proven performer against Pakistan. On the eve of the contest, the right-hander trained for more hours as the rest of the team.

Virat Kohli's form is the final piece that needs to come together if India are to go all the way in the tournament. Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are all in form, and if the former India captain comes good, nothing can stop India.

Players to watch out for:Pakistan:

Shaheen Shah Afridi and Salman Ali Agha are the players to watch out for Pakistan. Shaheen was below par against New Zealand, but he has a knack for taking wickets with the new ball. His early spell will be the key for Pakistan if they are to have any chance of winning against India.

Salman Ali Agha, who is the vice-captain, is an aggressive batter in the middle order and can give the much-needed impetus in the middle.

India:

Shubman Gill and Mohammed Shami are India's show stealers. Gill recently notched up his 8th ODI ton, and he will look to carry on with his form. In bowling, Shami is the man when it comes to ICC tournaments.

Last time, Shami was hit around the park when India played against Pakistan in Dubai in the 2021 T20 World Cup. He will surely look to take revenge.

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