Pakistan is all set to take on the Bangladesh in Match 31 of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 on Tuesday, October 31 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Both the teams have a star-studded squad that can change the course of the game with their abilities. Bangladesh is the favourite to win this encounter against Pakistan.
Pakistan and Bangladesh have a fierce rivalry in the format. Both teams have played 38 ODI matches, with Pakistan winning 33 games and Bangladesh winning 5 games so far in the head to head encounters. In this article, we will take a look at the key player battles to watch out for in the match 31 of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 between Pakistan vs Bangladesh.
Also Read: ICC ODI World Cup 2023: Pakistan vs Bangladesh 3 Players to Avoid in Your Fantasy Team for Today Match
Here are three player battles to watch out for during PAK vs BAN match:
1) Babar Azam vs Shoriful Islam
Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, has faced challenges in achieving a substantial score in the ongoing tournament. With 207 runs in six matches at an average of 34.50, including three fifties, he aims to make a big impact against Bangladesh. His adversary will be Shoriful Islam, who has been in good form in the World Cup with six wickets, including a notable 3/75 performance against England. They have crossed paths once in ODIs before, with Babar scoring 8 runs from an equal number of deliveries against Shoriful.
2) Mahmudullah vs Shaheen Afridi
Mahmudullah is Bangladesh’s top run-scorer in the tournament, amassing 218 runs in four innings at an impressive average of 72.66, which includes a century against South Africa. He aspires to replicate his earlier performances. However, he must exercise caution when facing Shaheen Afridi. The pacer has been exceptional with 13 wickets in six matches, including a five-wicket haul. In their previous ODI encounter, Shaheen Afridi dismissed Mahmudullah once and conceded only 13 runs in 16 deliveries to the batter.
3) Mohammad Rizwan vs Shakib Al Hasan
Mohammad Rizwan is in outstanding form during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, leading Pakistan’s run charts with 333 runs from six matches, boasting an impressive average of 66.60 and a best score of 131. He has notched up a century and a fifty in the tournament. In the upcoming match, he will face Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s captain, who has been somewhat off-color with seven wickets from five matches. However, Shakib has a noteworthy record against Rizwan, having dismissed him twice in ODIs.