India and Pakistan are gearing up for their highly anticipated T20 World Cup match in Colombo, with a unique twist to their training schedules. The teams will be training at different times, with Pakistan hitting the field in the afternoon and India taking to the practice ground in the evening. Both teams will also be addressing the media before their respective sessions, adding a layer of anticipation to the build-up to the match.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) provided the details of the training schedules, stating, "Pakistan will have a training session at the RPICS from 14h00 to 17h00 local time and hold a media interaction at the Press Conference Room starting around 13h45." India, on the other hand, will be training from 18h00 to 21h00 local time, with their media interaction scheduled to begin at 17h30.
The focus now shifts to the playing XI for India, with key players like Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, and either Abhishek Sharma or Sanju Samson expected to play pivotal roles with the bat. Abhishek Sharma, who is recovering from an illness, will be eager to bounce back after a less-than-stellar start in India's tournament opener.
Arshdeep Singh, who stole the show with his energetic dance to the drum beats upon arrival in Colombo, is expected to be a key player. His past performances against Pakistan, along with the strong records of Hardik Pandya, make him a formidable force. Additionally, Ishan Kishan's current form and Tilak Varma's recent success against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final further strengthen India's lineup.
With the spin-friendly pitches of Sri Lanka in mind, Varun Chakravarthy could be a crucial bowler for India in this match, adding another layer of strategy to the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash.