Virat Kohli’s better half Anushka Sharma has landed in Ahmedabad ahead of the blockbuster IND vs PAK clash of the ODI World Cup 2023 to be held at Narendra Modi Stadium. This will be the first match of the ODI World Cup 2023 which Anushka will attend to support her husband Virat Kohli.
Team India Captain Rohit Sharma’s Ritika Sajdeh has been traveling with her husband in the marquee event & she was present at both Chennai & Delhi’s venues during India’s World Cup 2023 matches against Australia & Afghanistan. There was speculation that Virat Kohli & Anushka Sharma are expecting their second child after daughter Vamika & because of that he returned to Mumbai after India’s first warm-up match against England in Guwahati for a few days before rejoining the squad in Chennai.
Virat Kohli’s Record against Pakistan in World Cup History
Virat Kohli has a phenomenal record against Pakistan in ODIs. He has an average of 55 against Pakistan with a strike rate of over 100 & his 47th ODI century came against the same opposition during the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 match last month. Virat will hope to continue the same momentum in front of Pakistan during IND vs PAK ODI World Cup fixture.
Since 2015, Virat has maintained a good average against Pakistan which touches to 99 with 396 runs in just 6 innings against the Pakistan team. In the ICC event, Virat has played against Pakistan in 7 matches & averages 63.4 against arch-rivals. Virat Kohli has scored a ton & two fifties in the last four matches in the ICC event against Pakistan.
In the ODI World Cup 2023 too Virat Kohli has been a blistering form. So far he has scored two half-centuries amassing 85 runs against Australia & unbeaten 55 against Afghanistan in India’s last match at Arun Jaitley stadium this week. Talking about Kohli’s form Harbhajan Singh believes that Virat will have an edge over Pakistan’s ace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi in the ODI World Cup 2203 match. As per the records, every time Virat & Shaheen came into a face-off it’s Shaheen who has dismissed the bowler with his fiery pace attack. But Harbhajan said that this time ‘King Kohli’ will outshadow Shaheen Afridi when they will come into a face-off.
“It is a good battle but I feel the sort of form Virat is in, he will win this battle. Shaheen pitches the ball extremely full and tries to get batters out lbw or bowled with the new ball,” Harbhajan was quoted as saying on Star Sports.
IND vs PAK ODI World Cup 2023 Match Live Updates
The players of both India & Pakistan have marched on the field for the epic India vs Pakistan ODI World Cup 2023 clash. India has won the toss & has opted to bowl first. Meanwhile, Babar Azam said that they too have bowled first if they had won the toss. For India, Shubman Gill comes in place of Ishan Kishan while Pakistan went with the same playing XI.
IND vs PAK Playing XI
India Actual Playing XI:
Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Shardul Thakur, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Lokesh Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Pakistan Actual Playing XI:
Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi
Also read, IND vs PAK Live Score, ODI World Cup 2023 Match 12 Preview
