Asia Cup 2022, India vs Pakistan: India's old guard ready with new approach against 'unfamiliar' foes Pakistan

Pakistan in the marquee Asia Cup match here on Sunday. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been the two pillars of India's white-ball team for the past decade but having received a rude jolt at this very venue 10 months back during the T20 World Cup, the duo exactly know where they stand and what they need to do to turn the tables. While Rohit will be eagar to test his ultra aggressive batting template against the Asian giants, for Kohli it will be the perfect platform to return to form after enduring a tough phase in the last few years.

How India and Pakistan have fared at the Asia Cup

There would be a bigger picture also and that is to set the core combination for the T20 World Cup in Australia in order by the end of this tournament. With no bilateral contests between the cross-border neighbours for 10 years now and nothing on the anvil in near future, the geo-political tension does always make for a heady build-up. But the lack of regular games mean that Indo-Pak rivalries are rather held between unfamiliar foes rather than familiar ones. One can't plan a lot against an opposition whom a team plays once or twice a year, while one has to expect the unexpected. The last meeting India played Pakistan, they didn't have any idea how much Shaheen Shah Afridi had improved. The result was a 10-wicket defeat.

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The stage is all set, captains - Babar Azam and Rohit Sharma - have chalked out their plans, anticipation is sky high, and the fans are waiting eagerly to witness the next chapter of the mother of all cricket battles. Yes, it's almost time for the latest chapter of