Babar Azam vs India in T20 runs: The Pakistani captain will be playing only his second T20I against India.
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Pakistan captain Babar Azam has brushed aside all the ballyhoo ahead of the second Asia Cup 2022 match against India in Dubai tonight.
With his feet on the ground ahead of what is perceived to be a high-profile clash, Azam trusted their preparations without wanting to dwell too much about their victory against India in the ICC T20 World Cup at the same venue last year. Labeling the match as a “new fixture”, Azam didn’t hint at relying on past achievements.
“I know there is tremendous excitement in both the countries but for us, it is just another game. Our preparations have been excellent and we will take the field oozing with confidence,” Azam said in an official statement published by the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board).
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“Our victory over India 11 months ago at the same venue is a good reference point, but that’s all. While we will continue to reflect on it positively, Sunday and any other matches down the line will be new fixtures that will be played in new conditions.”
Babar Azam vs India in T20 runs (numbers updated)
Azam, 27, was one of the reasons why Pakistan beat India in ICC T20 World Cup 2021 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. A 152-run opening partnership alongside wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan had witnessed Pakistan beating India in the shortest format after nine years.
Interestingly, Azam has played only a couple of T20Is against India scoring 78 runs at an average and strike rate of 78 and 127.86 respectively including a half-century.
Before last year’s T20 World Cup match between these two teams, the last when an India-Pakistan T20I had happened was during ICC World Twenty20 2016 in Kolkata. While Azam had made his ODI debut in the previous year, his T20I debut had happened later that year.
Babar Azam vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar T20 head to head record
Slated to open the batting alongside Rizwan in this match as well, Azam will have to counter a challenge presented by India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. In their previous two encounters against each other, Azam has scored 11 (10) against Kumar which includes a boundary and a dismissal in the last match last week.
