Betting Tips

This is it. The Big one. The 'Baap' of all cricket matches. India vs Pakistan at the T20 World Cup 2024. The world will be watching as supposedly over a billion people tune in for this contest around the globe. 

Now that we have all the cliches out of the way, let us get down to actually analyzing this contest and why we believe it is going to be a lot closer than what most people think. 

India vs Pakistan Head-to-Head Record

India and Pakistan have played 12 T20 international against each other, out of which India has won nine and lost three. Seven of these matches have been played at the T20 World Cup with six being won by India. India has never lost a match batting first in a T20 international against Pakistan so far. 

Interestingly, the recent history of matches between the two teams is a lot closer. The last four matches have seen two wins for India and two for Pakistan. One of those wins for India includes the miraculous comeback in Melbourne and so Pakistan could have easily had three wins in the previous four. 

India vs Pakistan Live-Streaming and Broadcast

The match begins at 8 PM IST and will be broadcast on the Star Sports network of channels. It can also be streamed on the Hotstar app.

IND vs PAK Team Previews

India

India has played one match at the T20 World Cup so far, against Ireland, on a tricky surface at New York. That ended up being an easy victory with a dominant bowling performance the headline but perhaps the exposure that India got of playing at the venue is more important. 

We thought India read the conditions perfectly in the previous match and picked the right combination. They bolstered their batting lineup to number 8 by including both Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja. They also have several left-handed batters and six to seven bowling options if you count Shivam Dube as well. 

Against Pakistan, we expect India to open with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli once more. Both players have shown attacking intent and will no doubt try to maximize their strike rates again. Virat Kohli has scored 488 runs against Pakistan in 10 T20 internationals at an average of 81.33. With his form sparkling in the IPL, we would not bet against him putting in another strong performance. 

Rohit Sharma and Rishab Pant looked in good touch during the previous match while the presence of Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya gives India a powerful middle order. Add Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel to this lineup and India has an enviable batting depth. 

SKY has threatened a big innings against Pakistan a couple of times now but has yet to perform. His unconventional style of batting could be very hard to stop. He is also a master of using the pace to his advantage. He is someone we would consider betting on to do well in this match.

The bowling unit is unlikely to change seeing as how the fast bowlers have profited at New York so far. Mohammad Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh should continue to find a place in the playing eleven. Arshdeep's ability to bring the ball into the batters as well as Bumrah's hard-lengths are going to be very tough to combat. 

We saw the USA team use its left-arm spinners to tie down Babar Azam and that could be a tactic that India is tempted to use as well. 

India Expected Playing 11

Pakistan

Pakistan would be devastated after its loss to the USA in its opening match of the T20 World Cup 2024. All of the best betting sites had Pakistan as favorites to win even late into regulation time, showing how everyone expected the men in Green to find a way to win against a low-ranked associate cricketing nation. 

Now, the pressure is on Pakistan. It can still qualify if it loses to India but the task will become very difficult and leave a lot of things to other results.

So, how can Pakistan beat India?

We think the best chance it has is through the brilliance of its bowling lineup. Naseem Shah was exceptional in the previous match and we think he will pose the biggest threat. Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, and Haris Rauf form what is perhaps the most dangerous fast-bowling unit in this tournament. 

Of course, Pakistan is struggling with its choice of spinner seeing how Shadab Khan has struggled for any kind of form. Perhaps, in an ideal situation, Pakistan would be able to pick Imad Wasim in place of Shadab Khan to bolster its side. 

We don't think it is realistic to play Abrar Ahmed in the lineup because that will compromise the batting too much. Abrar can only play in place of one of the fast bowlers. 

Pakistan's batting is in a tough spot right now. Babar Azam is the captain and we don't see him changing the batting order just after one loss. He and Rizwan will continue to open with perhaps no option but to show more intent and fearlessness. 

Usman Khan had a brilliant PSL and can be the X factor for Pakistan but is still a bit untested against top quality bowlers in difficult conditions. Fakhar Zaman is the biggest threat to the Indian bowlers. He can take down the left-handed spinners, is comfortable against pace, and has a history of success against India. 

He is wasted at number four according to us but that is unlikely to change. 

Azam Khan, Shadab Khan, and Iftikhar Ahmed don't strike fear in any opposition's heart but that is the best Pakistan has. They are at their best when the team has given them a strong platform to perform. If they come in early, we can see them struggling to combat the Indian bowlers. 

Pakistan Expected Playing 11

IND vs PAK Toss Prediction

The toss is going to be very important. With the pitch so much in the focus, we have no doubt that the team that wins the toss is going to want to field first. Having a target in front of you is going to be a lot better and should be seen as a big advantage.

Pitch and Conditions

There is a slight threat of rain around the time of the start of the match. If that happens, we are hopeful that they will be passing showers and nothing more. 

The pitch for this match is being talked about across the cricketing world. A drop-in set of pitches has been prepared by the ICC but they have turned out to be sub-standard. No team has scored over 100 at the venue, the bounce has been wildly inconsistent, and it has looked simply unsafe at times during the matches. 

ICC has called upon its pitch experts to help improve the issue but whether something can be done in such a short time remains doubtful. We expect a tough surface where something around 140-150 will be very competitive and hard to chase down.  

IND vs PAK Betting Tips

India and Pakistan cricket matches carry so much baggage with them that teams often get lost in all the noise that surrounds them. They can end up being tentative and afraid of failing. We don't think Pakistan has the option of sitting back and being tentative anymore while India's history of success will give it the freedom to attack as well. 

Add a spicy pitch where the bowlers are expected to dominate and you have all the makings of a close and exciting match. We think the quality of batsmanship will be the differentiator on a tough surface. That is where India has the advantage in both quality and depth.

Bet on India to win.