Agency :
It is tempting to think that the off-field cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan is passé, a thing of the past century.
The two cricketing giants will take on each other in the Asia Cup today. If the gods smile on television moguls, this could be the first of three meetings in the tournament.
Cricket giants India and Pakistan could square up three times during the two weeks of the T20 competition in the United Arab Emirates.
The six-nation tournament was moved from Sri Lanka because of political unrest and it takes on extra significance this year because the T20 World Cup in Australia is coming up fast, in October and November.
Sri Lanka were meet Afghanistan on Saturday’s opening match but all eyes will be on India and Pakistan, who will clash in Dubai today.
India will be looking to avenge their 10-wicket humiliation by Pakistan at the same venue in last year’s T20 World Cup.
The match will be Kohli’s 100th T20 international and a chance for the batting great to emerge from his prolonged slump before the World Cup.
The 33-year-old has not scored a century in any format since 2019 but should be refreshed after being rested for tours of the West Indies and Zimbabwe.
Kohli, who has 27 centuries in 102 Tests, was replaced by Rohit as all-format skipper earlier this year.
Pakistan’s fortunes will mainly depend on in-form skipper Babar, fresh from two big half-centuries in his team’s 3-0 ODI sweep of the Netherlands.
Babar, 27, tops the world T20 and ODI batting rankings and led his team to victory last year against India with an unbeaten 68.
Pakistan have brought in pace bowler Mohammad Hasnain in place of Shaheen Shah Afridi, India’s T20 destroyer last year, who has been forced out by a knee injury.
India vice-captain K.L. Rahul said his team was looking forward to playing Pakistan with the arch-rivals only meeting each other in multi-nation events due to political issues between them.
The neighbours have not played a Test since 2007, instead facing off only in the shorter versions of the game and at multi-team competitions on foreign soil, rather than head-to-head series at home.
