T20 World Cup 2022: 6 players to watch out for during India vs Pakistan game

India will face Pakistan in their first game of T20 World Cup on (Sunday) October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Last year, in Dubai, India had to suffer a humiliating defeat by 10 wickets against their arch rivals. Shaheen Afridi was the star bowler for Pakistan and took crucial wickets of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma in the very first over .And the good news for Pakistan is that the he is back in action after recuperating from a knee injury.

The Indian team also has heavy batters like Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and finisher Dinesh Karthik who can turn around the fortune of India against any opponent. If rain doesn't interrupt the match, there will be a tight contest between the two.

Here are 6 players who can be game changers during the India vs Pakistan clash:

Shaheen Afridi: The left-arm seamer will be the one of the most exciting players to watch during the World Cup. Afridi did not play in the Asia Cup because of a knee injury. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), knowing the importance of T20 World Cup, didn't take any chance and sent him to London for proper treatment. And now he is fit to play.

In the practice match against Afghanistan, he scalped 2 wickets giving away just 29 runs. He will be the lead bowler for Pakistan and Babar Azam will count on him to get the wickets of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma in his opening spell.

Suryakumar Yadav: The 31-year old is finally getting to play the game he would have always wanted to. In the shortest format of cricket, Yadav has been in top form this year. We have seen this in the Asia Cup as well as against Australia and South Africa series.

In T20I cricket, he has a strike rate of 176.81 and has scored 1045 runs in 34 matches at an average of 38.70. Not only against Pakistan, Yadav will be a player to watch out for during the entire tournament. 

Mohammad Rizwan: The Pakistan opener, Mohammad Rizwan, is in a brillaint form and will be a big challenge for Indian bowlers. Rizwan had a very good series against England in Pakistan.

Rizwan,unlike, Babar Azam, doesn't go for lofty shots from the beginning and take some time to settle in before he starts hitting big shots. Once he gets into the rythm. he starts hitting the ball all around the park. If Pakistan gets to chase a total, Rizwan can be a worry for India because last year, he and Babar Azam had chased down 151-run target against India without losing any wicket.

Virat Kohli: The former India captain is finally back in form and will be crucial for India's chances in the tournament. In the second T20I against South Africa, Kohli scored 49 off 28 balls missing his half-century by just one run. In the third T20I against Australia, Kohli smashed 63 off 48 balls. He has a good track record against Pakistani bowlers, and in the match against the arch-rivals, we might see Kohli at his best.

Mohammad Shami: Shami has made a phenomenal comeback in T20I cricket. Against Australia, in the practice match, Shami took 3 wickets in the last over and was also involved in a run-out. He defended 11 runs in the last over. The last time he played in the format at international level was against Pakistan in T20 World Cup last year. Since then, he has not play any T20I cricket.

Shami didn't have a quite good run against Pakistan in the last World Cup match. This time, it will be interesting how he plays against Pakistan. He has a lots of experience, knows to swing the ball both ways with both the old and new ball and has the baility to break partnerships.

Shan Masood: Shan Masood and Haider Ali were brought in the team after a dismal show by the Pakistan middle order in the Asia Cup. The 33-year-old comes at number three position and is seen as a replacement of Fakhar Zaman. Zaman in the Asia Cup was not impressive and thereby he was benched for the England series. Masood, on the other hand, is capable of building up good innings and having partnerships.

The match will be telecast LIVE at 1.30 IST on Star Network and will be streamed LIVE on Disney+Hotstar.