Team India are getting ready for a blockbuster clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in match No. 12 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Both sides are won their opening two fixtures with ease and Rohit Sharma’s side will be looking to extend their winning record against Pakistan in World Cup to 8-0 this year.
The big talking point will be whether prolific Indian opener and world No. 2-ranked ODI batter Shubman Gill will be fit enough to play in this encounter. Gill has missed the first two games of the World Cup 2023 against Australia and Afghanistan as he was suffering from dengue fever. However, Gill – who flew straight from Chennai to Ahmedabad – has been working hard in the nets over the last couple of days and seems to almost back to full fitness.
“99% he is available. We’ll see tomorrow,” skipper Rohit Sharma said about Gill’s availability on the eve of the match in Ahmedabad.
If Gill is indeed fit, he will come into the side at the expense of Ishan Kishan. The Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper scored an impressive 81-ball 82 in the league match of the Asia Cup 2023 against Pakistan in Pallekelle last month, which was washed out due to rain.
Apart from Gill coming in for Kishan, there shouldn’t be too many changes in the Indian line-up which hammered Afghanistan by eight wickets in Delhi a few days back. All-rounder Shardul Thakur should retain his place ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin, although Rohit Sharma said that if the conditions in Ahmedabad called for three spinners he wouldn’t mind playing them.
“I don’t know, honestly. I don’t know. I still haven’t looked at the pitch yet, but we are ready for whatever combination we want to play. That’s the challenge going forward for us as a team, depending on what kind of conditions we play in. If there is a change or two, we need to make, we will be ready with that. And the guys have been informed very well in advance about these kind of changes. So, I don’t think it’s going to be any issues with the players. But if the requirement is there for us to play three spinners, we will play three spinners,” Rohit said on Friday.
For Babar Azam’s Pakistan, the lineup looks almost settled. The only point of discussion could be the selection of Hasan Ali, although he picked up four wickets in the last game against Sri Lanka. The experienced Hasan leaked plenty of runs in Hyderabad and could be replaced by Mohammad Wasim Jr.
They meet again at the @cricketworldcup! _____
Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are set for their #CWC23 face-off in Ahmedabad.
Tune in to watch _ https://t.co/ObsrEL7ZMT#INDvPAK #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/sQeWh92oYp
— ICC (@ICC) October 13, 2023
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan/Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Ifthikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali/Mohammad Wasim, Haris Rauf
