T20 World Match Prediction: India versus Pakistan. 16th Match. Who Will Win?

We are still a number of hours away from the marquee Pakistan versus India contest at the ICC T20 World Cup and the speculations have already begun. The chatter surrounding this game already outweighs the chatter surrounding all the other games that have been played in this competition to date. A game between these two sides is a rare commodity nowadays as they only play each other at ICC events - the last time these two teams played was the ODI World Cup in 2019, and India came out on top in this match. Who will go on to win this match? Read on and all will be revealed.

India versus Pakistan Head-to-Head

When it comes to T20I matches, Indian fans have had a lot more to cheer about in recent times than Pakistan fans, that is for sure. They have only played 8 T20I matches against each other, and India have come out on top seven times. They have played five times at the T20 World Cup, and India have won them all, including the final in 2007. Virat Kohli also has a great record against Pakistan in this tournament, remaining not out in the three matches that he has played against them.

Although India are on top when it comes to history, it is safe to say that history takes a bit of a backstep whenever these two teams meet. In a football derby, it is said that form goes out the window, and the same can be said for a match between Pakistan and India.

India Team Preview

This will be Kohli's last tournament as the captain of India, so this should be motivation enough for him to play very well and lead his side to glory. However, apart from motivation, India have a number of things going for them coming into the main stage of this competition.

One factor that they have going for them is that their players are all familiar with the conditions that they will be playing in because they have been playing in the Indian Premier League for the last month, which was also played in the UAE. In addition to this, the performances that India put in during their two warm-up matches would definitely inspire extra confidence. Their middle-order form has been under examination for a while now, and the way that Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav batted will have brought smiles to faces.

India have a really good side on paper, and the fact that they know the conditions already will be a huge advantage - we already saw that knowledge help them a lot in the warm-up matches. If India perform to their full potential, Pakistan will not be able to live with them.

Pakistan Team Preview

Pakistan head into this T20 World Cup on the back of a fantastic T20I record since the last World Cup, and they will want to carry this form into this huge tournament. Pakistan are always an unpredictable team, and it will not be any different this time around.

There is a new chairman in charge of the Pakistan board, and many T20I matches that were scheduled were cancelled. Amidst this chaos, Pakistan still did a good job in their two warm-up games, beating the West Indies easily and giving South Africa a run for their money.

They have chosen a good side that has a decent amalgamation of experience and youth and can beat any side on their day, especially in the shorter format of the sport. If they can play to their full potential, then India might just have a game on their hands.

Toss Prediction

The captain that goes on to get lucky and win the toss will probably opt to field first. This match will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, and there is a good chance that dew will fall during the second half of the match, meaning that there is a big advantage to fielding first.

Pitch Conditions

The pitch provides assistance to both the spinners and the bowlers, and there is some nice bounce as well. It is a decent pitch to bat on, but it does slow down a fraction as the match wears on. If batsmen apply themselves properly, then there are runs to be had, and a par score for the team batting first should be about 160.

Match Predictions

Any game between Pakistan and India is a must watch since it is the biggest rivalry in the cricketing world. The pressure will be immense as all the players will know how badly their fans want to win. Experience will be vital here, and India has that in spades. With this in mind, and the other things mentioned above, we think the way to go in this match is to back India to come out on top.