For Indians, cricket is not merely a means of recreation, but it’s a religion, a belief and a matter of life and death. Things turn all the more interesting when the opponents on the stadium ground are ‘The Shaheens’ or Pakistan cricket players. It’s rare to see Team India playing against Pakistan, considering the hostile political relations between the neighboring nations. Nevertheless, at least once in every four years, the entire country looks forward to the ICC champion’s trophy.
This year too, ICC champion’s trophy 2017 has flared up the excitement, emotion and tension level among Indians. The raw energy is palpable and we’re desperately waiting for ‘Men in Blue’ to face ‘The Green Shirts’ this week. The upcoming India Vs Pakistan champion’s trophy 2017 match is scheduled on 4th June 2017 at 3 PM IST.
Though there are good players on both sides, but here are top 4 Pakistani and Indian cricketers that can change the pace of the game.
Indian Cricket Team
- Virat Kohli
Fondly referred to as the ‘Captain hothead’, Kohli has just recovered from his injury. He may not have participated in the IPL, but he’s all set to take on the opponents in the ICC champion’s trophy matches. Just this week, Kohli scored 52 runs in 55 balls against New Zealand—a perfect start to this year’s world cup.
- Hardik Pandya
After the retirement of legendary cricketer Kapil Dev, Team India was in quest of an all-rounder fast bowler and then, we found Pandya! Pandya’s best performance in bowling includes 5 wickets on 61 runs in first class cricket. In the warm-up match, he scored 80 runs on 54 balls against Bangladesh—a fiery performance for a newbie.
- Shikhar Dhawan
I bet you know that Dhawan was the fastest Indian cricketer and one of the fastest batsmen in the world to score 3000 ODIs in international cricket—a record that he had set back in 2016. He was also the highest run getter in 2016 IPL. Talking about his latest performance, Dhawan scored 40 against New Zealand and 61 against Bangladesh.
Considering these facts, it’s safe to say that he’s one of the most proficient openers that India has ever had.
- Umesh Yadav
Having top speed of 152.5 km/h, Umesh Yadav is the fastest Indian bowler of Indian cricket team. He took maximum number of wickets in the IPL and kept up with this performance in two matches. He can give us leverage against the English cricket team.
Pakistan Cricket Team
- Shoaib Malik
‘Prim n proper’ Shoaib Malik has polished up well, ever since he got married to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza. Being a first class middle-order batsman, Shoaib fired down a 100 against West Indies in a domestic cricket series. His country looks up to him to recreate that magic this week.
- Babar Azam
Babar Azam was a gem that Pakistan discovered last year. He has already scored over 1322 runs in 26 ODIs—a significant start for a beginner. He could be instrumental in leading his team towards victory.
- Wahab Riaz
People still remember the way Riaz bowled Shane Watson in the 2015 World Cup. His highest speed is 154.5 km/hr and he’ll be an interesting player to watch on field.
- Shadab Khan
This 18-year-old leg spinner is the new talk of the town! After delivering a commendable performance in the 2016-2017 Pakistan Super League, the neighbors are set to launch him against India. His best performance was when he took 10 wickets in 4 T20 matches. Our Indian players need to watch out against him.
So these were the top 4 players of Indian and Pakistan cricket team. Brace yourself up because we’ve an exciting match coming up this week.
