India go into the match with momentum after beating the USA and Namibia, which leaves them top of Group A. The challenge is the venue, as they have not yet played in Colombo this tournament. Abhishek Sharma missed the last game with a stomach bug, and if he is still out, Sanju Samson is likely to come in. Ishan Kishan has been striking at 222 this year, while Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma anchor the middle, with Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel expected to take on the spinners.
In the bowling, Jasprit Bumrah remains a major threat, while Arshdeep Singh has been expensive lately. With a sluggish pitch expected, there is a case for Kuldeep Yadav, whose record against Pakistan is strong, to join Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy in a spin-heavy attack.
Pakistan are finding rhythm at the right time. After a close game against the Netherlands, they looked commanding against the USA, and both of their games so far were at this ground. Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub and Salman Agha are all scoring, Farhan after a fine 73. Their spin attack has taken 13 wickets in two games, with Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan, and Usman Tariq’s unusual action could be a surprise element.
