India and Pakistan will come face-to-face on the cricket field after a period of over one year, when they take on each other in the group stage match of Asia Cup 2018 in Dubai on Wednesday, 19 September.
The last time the sides met were at the final of the Champions Trophy in England in 2017 when Pakistan got the better of India to win their first global ODI trophy since the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
An India-Pakistan encounter, of late, has become so less frequent that most of the cricket fans from India are no longer aware of players from the other side of the border.
With many new, young and exciting talents in their ranks, the Pakistan team has actually become a well-kept secret not only for the fans but also for the Indian cricketers.
Here’s a look at the five new faces from Pakistan cricket who may pose a threat to India in the upcoming Asia Cup.
1. Fakhar Zaman
Fakhar Zaman would be best remembered by Indian cricket fans for his innings of 114 against India in the Champions Trophy final at the Oval in 2017. His innings single-handedly helped Pakistan post 338, which eventually was too much for India to chase.
Since then Zaman has acquired the reputation of a record-breaker, courtesy his terrific form with the bat. Earlier this year, Zaman became the fastest batsman to reach 1,000 ODI runs. He broke a 38-year-old record of Viv Richards, who took 21 innings while the Pakistani opener reached the landmark in 18 innings.
In the same series against Zimbabwe, Zaman became the first batsman for Pakistan to score a double century in ODIs, finishing 210 not out. In the same match, he and Imam-ul-Haq made the highest opening partnership in ODIs, scoring 304 runs, which took Pakistan's total to 399 – their highest score in ODIs.
2. Babar Azam
With the induction of Babar Azam in the side, Pakistan’s prayer for a dependable number 3 in the shorter formats has been answered.
Azam was a part of the U-19 sides twice. First time as a 15-year-old in 2010 and later in 2012 as the captain of the side, who went on to become team’s top run scorer. He had a glorious start to his career when he scored a fifty in his debut match against Zimbabwe at home in 2015.
In 2016, Azam scored three consecutive ODI hundreds against the West Indies in 2016 in the UAE.
After South Africa’s Quinton de Kock, Azam is the fastest to reach five ODI centuries. He brought up his fifth ODI ton in his 25th innings in 2017. After 25 innings, his aggregate of 1,306 runs is also the highest, beating Jonathan Trott's numbers.
3. Imam-ul-Haq
Known for his flashy stroke-play, Imam-ul-Haq made his debut for Pakistan in October 2017 against Sri Lanka in UAE. Like all the current lot of Pakistani batsmen, Imam too had a great opening to his senior cricketing career. He anchored a successful run-chase, bringing up his maiden international ton in the process.
Since his U-19 days, Imam has tasted success against India. During the U-19 Asia Cup in 2012 he averaged 45 from 5 games, which included three successive fifties and a 88 in his first game against India U-19.
In his last ODI series, which was against Zimbabwe, the left-hander finished with an average of 79. In five innings, Imam scored three triple-figure scores. He was in a record-breaking spree along with Fakhar Zaman in the same series.
Imam-ul-Haq is the first batsman to make four ODI centuries inside his first ten matches.
Unlike his famous uncle Inzamam-ul-Haq, Imam is a sharp ring fielder.
4. Hasan Ali
Man of the tournament in Pakistan's successful 2017 Champions Trophy campaign, Hasan Ali has never been the express speed fast bowler, which Pakistan has produced on a consistent basis. Instead, he depends on variations.
In the Champions Trophy, Hasan starred with the ball, picking up 13 wickets in 5 games. His three wickets a piece against South Africa, Sri Lanka, England in the semi-finals and later against India in the final were one of the reasons why Pakistan ended up winning the Champions Trophy.
In the same year, Hasan finished with a five-wicket haul against Australia and West Indies at Sydney and Providence, Guyana, respectively.
5. Haris Sohail
Haris was included as an all-rounder in the World Cup squad in 2015 and ended up scoring 177 runs in 6 games.
After the World Cup, Haris scored four fifties in five games but ended up being dropped for a two years. He returned to the squad in 2017 for the Champions Trophy. Though he was not a part of the original squad but after Umar Akmal failed a fitness test, Haris was included in his place.
In the 24 ODIs he has played till now, Haris has scored 837 runs at a decent average of 44.35. Till now he has scored nine fifties.
With his left-arm orthodox, he managed to pick up 10 wickets in his 24 ODIs, with a best figure of 3/45.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)