Four tactical match-ups that could shape the fate of India vs Pakistan

Will February 15, 2026, match September 28, 2025? On that night, Tilak Verma masterminded India's final-over triumph in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, and most of the players who made that match a classic will be in action in Sunday's T20 World Cup clash. Here are the key one-on-one duels that could potentially swing the result.

During the Asia Cup, Sahibzada Farhan went viral on social media after he did what no other batter in T20Is had done to Jasprit Bumrah. Farhan hit not just a six off the world's best all-format fast bowler but hit three in the course of three matches including one in the final. Since then, Farhan has been joined by New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell, who hit Bumrah for three sixes in the T20I series last month.

What are Bumrah's plans for Farhan for Sunday? How will Farhan respond? There is a chance this contest may not go on for too long, though. During the Asia Cup, India used Bumrah in three-over spells during the powerplay; since then, he has typically bowled just one over in the first six.

Shaheen Shah Afridi has the joint-most first-over wickets (25) of all T20I bowlers alongside UAE's Junaid Siddique. Abhishek Sharma has hit more first-over sixes (10) than anyone else since his T20I debut.

This is a must-watch face-off. During the Asia Cup, it all went one way. Abhishek hit Shaheen for 24 off 13 balls (two fours, two sixes) in the first overs of matches, and for 36 off 19 (three fours, three sixes) overall, without being dismissed.

On Sunday, Abhishek will be playing his first match since recovering from the stomach bug that kept him out of India's match against Namibia. Whether that hampers him in any way against Shaheen remains to be seen.

Since his recent India comeback, Ishan Kishan has been in rampaging form, averaging 49.33 across six innings while striking at 222.55. There's one potential loophole Pakistan could exploit, however. Over his T20I career, Kishan has only scored 85 off 77 balls against spin in the first six overs (that's a strike rate of 110.38) while being dismissed four times. Even during his recent unstoppable run, spinners bowling in the powerplay have found him slightly more stoppable: 17 runs off 10 balls, one wicket.

Over the last year or so, Pakistan have often used part-time offspinner Saim Ayub - who also bowls a useful carrom ball - in the powerplay, but deviated from that plan in their last match against Netherlands. They went all-pace in the powerplay in seam-friendly conditions at the SSC, but conditions at the R Premadasa Stadium, which are expected to be far more helpful to the spinners, could prompt them to use Ayub again. Pakistan will also have noted Kishan's dismissal against Namibia. He had taken the seamers apart but fell to the first ball of spin he faced, caught at deep midwicket while getting cramped on a pull against offspinner Gerhard Erasmus.

Ayub, who is No. 2 on the ICC's T20I allrounder rankings, bowled three overs for just 16 runs in the Asia Cup final (he didn't bowl in the powerplay in that game). He will hope to play an influential role again.

Abrar Ahmed is Pakistan's best spinner. He likes bowling against India and has a distinctive celebration. Since the end of the last T20 World Cup, Abrar has the third-best middle-overs (7-16) T20I economy rate (5.92) of all bowlers playing this tournament (minimum 300 balls bowled in this phase), and has taken the fifth-most wickets (31) in this phase.

This is also the phase in which Suryakumar Yadav does most of his batting. While he was struggling for form during the Asia Cup last year, he has found his rhythm again, and played one of the innings of the group stage against USA, scoring an unbeaten 49-ball 84 to revive India from 77 for 6.

The sweep is Suryakumar's central weapon, and has been a high-scoring shot for him against legspin in particular. Across his T20I career, he has employed a full range of sweeps and scoops to devastating effect against this style of bowling, scoring 118 runs in 56 balls (strike rate 210.71) while being dismissed just three times. It could be a vital part of Suryakumar's armoury on a pitch that is expected to take turn, and at a ground with a large outfield.

Can Abrar plug the gaps on Sunday, and restrict Suryakumar's scoring in his vast sweeping arc?