India vs Pakistan, T20 World Cup 2016: 5 players to watch out for

The much-anticipated, high-octane clash between the two arch-rivals, India and Pakistan will unfold at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata tomorrow. Millions of viewers across the globe are eagerly waiting for the match to start. In the previous World Cups, current hosts India enjoy an unbeaten record against their arch-rivals. So, in the ICC World T20 2016, Pakistan will look to try to end that streak and register their first win against the men in blue in any world cup.India started the tournament on a disastrous note as they lost to New Zealand. The next three games are very crucial for the men-in-blue as they look to stay alive in the tournament. Pakistan on the other hand, began their tournament in a grand manner as they crushed Bangladesh and the momentum is surely with them.However, both the teams have players who can be match-winners on their own. If India possess a strong batting line-up, then Pakistan have the firepower in their bowling. Here are the five players to watch out for in the marquee clash.

#5 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin (right) celebrating with his teammates

India’s bowling hopes lie on this intelligent off-spinner from Tamil Nadu as he will look forward to bamboozle the Pakistan batsmen with his variations. He is someone who bowls well under pressure and will look to pick up early wickets to halt the Pakistan juggernaut.

Ashwin was not impressive in the first match against the Black Caps despite having conditions which suit his style of bowling. So he will be eager to bounce back and prove his worth in the side. There is no bigger game than India-Pakistan for the players to show their mettle and Ashwin will be keen to do that and is surely the one to watch out for.

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#4 Rohit Sharma

India will hope for a good knock at the top of the order from Rohit Sharma

The ever-so-elegant Rohit Sharma’s love-story with the Eden Gardens is known to one and all. He seems to be in a different zone whenever he plays in this particular ground. He amassed a mammoth 264 on this ground against a hapless Sri Lankan bowling.

He also made his test debut in Kolkata and scored a ton against West Indies. He also has a stupendous record on this ground in the Indian Premier League too. As the Mumbai Indians captain, he lifted the IPL trophy on this very ground. So it will be interesting to see whether Rohit comes back to form in his favourite ground against Pakistan in this all-important clash.

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#3 Mohammad Amir

Mohammad Amir will look to take some early wickets against India

He may have lost 5 precious years of his career due to well publicised issues which have tarnished his image but this talented pacer from Pakistan announced his return to international cricket with a bang. He bowled a deadly spell against India in the Asia Cup 2016 where he terrorised the Indian top-order with his pace and swing.

However, it wasn't enough and Pakistan lost that game due to a stellar knock under pressure from Virat Kohli. So, this time Amir will be eager to settle the score against his rival Kohli in the upcoming match. Also, his presence adds zing to the Pakistani bowling attack as they look to dismantle the strong Indian batting line-up.

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#2 Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi was the Man of the match against Bangladesh

The charismatic Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has always been a big-tournament player. Even with all the odds stacked against him, he seems to come up trumps when the big day arrives. None can forget his match-winning efforts in the 2009 ICC T20 World Cup final as he helped Pakistan win their maiden T20 World Cup title.

However, Shahid has a dismal record against India in World Cup matches. He will try to change that for one last time as this Shahid is surely playing his last major tournament. Being the skipper, he also will look to lead his team from the front as they chase their first victory against India in any World Cup.

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#1 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli playing a shot against New Zealand

No adjective is enough to describe this genius from India. The amount of consistency he has shown over the years is absolutely unbelievable. He is a big-match player for sure as he has a knack of performing exceptionally well under pressure.

Virat's record in India-Pakistan matches speaks a lot about this young man. He was the man-of-the-match when India beat Pakistan in a Group 2 match in the ICC T20 World Cup 2012. That dat, he scored 78 off just 61 balls. Kohli also scored a century against Pakistan in a 50 over game in 2015 ICC World Cup. Looking at his record, one can be pretty sure that Virat Kohl will be the man to watch out for in this mega-clash.

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