Stats preview: Pakistan v India

57.89 – India’s win percentage against Pakistan in one-day internationals in the past ten years, which is 19.43 higher than their percentage in the preceding years. Since 2007, they have won 11 out of 19 ODIs against Pakistan compared to 40 wins out of 104 with a win percentage 38.46 prior to that date. 

77.77 – India’s win percentage against Pakistan in the ICC ODI tournaments. The fierce rivals have faced-off on nine occasions with India winning seven and Pakistan just two. The latter’s both wins have come in Champions Trophy tournaments – in Birmingham 2004 and Centurion 2009. India have won six out of six in Cricket World Cups and also won the most recent Champions Trophy encounter in 2013 at Edgbaston, the venue where they will again square off on Sunday. 

1,634 – Number of runs scored by Shoaib Malik in ODIs against India, the highest tally in India-Pakistan contests among the 30 players across both squads. The next highest is India's Yuvraj Singh with 1,285 runs at 42.83. Malik’s average (49.51) against India is his highest against any Test nation. He was also man of the match for scoring 123 when Pakistan last defeated India in an ICC event – at Centurion in 2009. Overall leading run-getter from India-Pakistan ODIs is legend Sachin Tendulkar (2,526 runs at 40.09). 

22 – Since the teams have not played much against each other in the recent times, Malik and Yuvraj are also the leading wicket-takers in India-Pakistan contests among the current players. Pakistan’s off-spinner has 22 wickets at 42.31 whereas Yuvraj has 13 scalps at 34.76. The overall leading wicket-taker from India-Pakistan ODIs is pace ace Wasim Akram (60 at 25.15).  

2 – It was two years ago when the teams last met in one-day internationals – in the World Cup opener in Adelaide in 2015. The things have changed so much for Pakistan that just two players – Ahmed Shehzad and Wahab Riaz – from that team are likely to be part of the XI on Sunday. The other players have either retired or been dropped. For India, as many as nine players from Adelaide could feature in the XI in Birmingham. Suresh Raina and Mohit Sharma are the only two players who are not part of the current squad. 

58.38 – MS Dhoni’s batting average against Pakistan in ODIs, the highest by any Indian batsman with at least 20 innings. Dhoni has amassed 1,226 runs at 58.38 with the help of two centuries. The next best are Yuvraj Singh (42.83) and Sachin Tendulkar (40.09). Overall just one batsman, AB de Villiers (61.86), has a better average than Dhoni against Pakistan. 

56.65 – The difference between Virat Kohli’s pace and spin averages against Pakistan in ODIs. The India captain has scored 171 runs off Pakistan’s slow bowlers at 85.50 (dismissed just twice) compared to 202 runs off pacers at an average of 28.85 with seven dismissals. Pakistan have announced the 12 players for the game against India and there seems to be a tie between Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf for the eleventh spot. Kohli’s record against seam might compel Pakistan to hand Faheem his first ODI cap. 

183 – Number of runs scored by Kohli against Pakistan in the Asia Cup clash in 2012, the highest individual score by an Indian against Pakistan in ODIs. He also scored 107 against them in Adelaide in 2015 but despite having two centuries against the arch-rivals, his overall average against Pakistan is 41.44, significantly less than his career average (53.11). His next highest score in ten innings against Pakistan after  his two centuries is just 22. 

55.08 – Babar Azam’s batting average in ODIs. Although he is at the nascent stage of his international career and has played just 26 innings, it is the second highest average in ODI history for anyone with at least 20 innings, behind only Dutchman Ryan ten Doeschate’s 67.00. He has not played against India yet but with five centuries in his last 11 ODIs, he is the batsman that Pakistan will be heavily relying on. Not that India haven’t had a look at him. When he was on the verge of scoring three centuries in as many innings against West Indies in 2016, Ravichandran Ashwin had an eye set on him.

0.66 – Kohli’s average in ODIs against Junaid Khan, who surprisingly isn’t among Pakistan’s 12 players for the high-octane game on Sunday. The India captain has scored just two runs from 22 balls off the left-arm pacer and has been dismissed three times. 

0 – Number of runs Sarfraz Ahmed has scored against India in ODIs. Surprisingly, the Pakistan captain has played three ODIs against the arch-rivals, including his career debut in Jaipur in 2007 and two games at home in Asia Cup 2008 in Karachi – but never got the chance to bat against them. The Sunday’s clash in Birmingham will be his first ODI against India in almost nine years. 

Champions Trophy 2017 Guide

Squads: Every Champions Trophy nation

Schedule

1 June – England beat Bangladesh by eight wickets

2 June – New Zealand v Australia, No Result

3 June – Sri Lanka lost to South Africa by 96 runs

4 June – India v Pakistan, Edgbaston (D)

5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, The Oval (D/N)

6 June – England v New Zealand, Cardiff (D)

7 June – Pakistan v South Africa, Edgbaston (D/N)

8 June – India v Sri Lanka, The Oval (D)

9 June – New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (D)

10 June – England v Australia, Edgbaston (D)

11 June – India v South Africa, The Oval (D)

12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (D)

14 June – First semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff (D)

15 June – Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (D)

18 June – Final, The Oval (D)

19 June – Reserve day (D)