India took a big call by picking Dinesh Karthik ahead of Rishabh Pant as skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field first against Pakistan at the Asia Cup in a landmark 100th T20 international for Virat Kohli on Sunday.
The high-octane clash of the Asia Cup tournament between the arch rivals has already attracted a huge crowd with almost equal fan presence at the Dubai International Stadium.
Asia Cup 2022, India vs Pakistan match blog
The focus remains on the 33-year-old Kohli, who will look to overcome his recent troubles with the bat as he makes his return from a break. He is only the second player after New Zealand’s Ross Taylor to play a century of international matches in all three formats.
India opted for Dinesh Karthik as wicketkeeper in place of Rishabh Pant, while Avesh Khan makes the XI as the third seamer.
“Honestly, I don’t think the toss is that important, we are just here to play good cricket,” Rohit said.
“We’ve played here in the IPL…