Virat Kohli and Babar Azam will lead India
and Pakistan as the two bitter rivals meet in the T20 World Cup Super 12 Group
2 match in Dubai on Sunday. A clash that defines T20 World Cup history and
transcends the boundaries of sport, an India-Pakistan encounter is a rare affair
these days due to the diplomatic relations between the neighbouring countries.

Limited to just World Cups, these
encounters are filled with rich history and provide the perfect opportunity of one-upmanship
for both fans. However, Pakistan fans have never had the bragging rights in T20
World Cups, losing all five of their encounters in the showpiece event so far.

Also Read | T20 World Cup: Ahead of India clash, 5 Pakistan players to watch out for

All five of those wins came under the leadership
of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who will now give his pearls of wisdom to Virat
Kohli as a mentor.

The stakes are always high in an India-Pakistan
match. Everyone is deeply invested, be it fans for the emotional and sporting
sentiments or broadcasters and organisers for the material value, this
blockbuster clash rarely fails to deliver.

There are some exceptional narratives coming
into the match, will Kohli – who is experiencing a slump in form – fire against
a side he always delivers or will Azam – who is in the ascendency and currently
one of the best in the world – lead his side to glory.

Will Jasprit Bumrah’s toe crushers rattle
the Pakistan batters, or will Mohammad Rizwan – the top-scorer in all formats
in 2021 – claim the spotlight with a virtuoso performance.

Also Read | T20 World Cup: Analysing Pakistan’s strengths and weaknesses

“In games likes these, some
unnecessary stuff happens on the professional point from outside that,”
Kohli said, playing down the hype as he has done in earlier games also.

“It’s fine as long as it stays outside
our controlled environment, we just focus on what we need to do as cricketers
and hence it’s no different from other games of cricket that we play. Yes,
atmosphere inside the stadium is different but our mindset is no different and
our preparations are no different,” he added.

Also Read | How India fares against Pakistan in all-time head-to-head record

His counterpart Babar also echoed same
sentiments.

“To be honest, we don’t want to focus
on the past. We are looking forward to this World Cup. We will focus on our
strength, ability and apply that on the day,” said the Pakistan captain.