As the tension for India v. Pakistan clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium reaches its peak, Team India is reportedly preparing to unleash a new tactical blueprint. Suryakumar Yadav-led side is expected to make two critical changes to India’s lineup that defeated Namibia.
With the slow, black-soil deck of Colombo favoring spin, India is banking on a rejuvenated attack to dismantle the Pakistani batting order.
Return of Abhishek Sharma
In a major boost to the top order, explosive opener Abhishek Sharma is set to reclaim his spot after missing the previous game due to a stomach infection.
Abhishek, who currently holds the world record as the fastest to hit 50 sixes in T20I cricket (achieved in 331 balls), showed no signs of fatigue during a high-intensity 30-minute net session on Saturday.
Replacing Sanju Samson, who failed to capitalize on his opportunity against Namibia, Abhishek will partner with Ishan Kishan.
The young left-hander enters IND-PAK Sunday game with massive confidence, having scored 314 runs in the 2025 Asia Cup, breaking Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs in a single T20 Asia Cup edition.
Kuldeep Yadav Over Arshdeep Singh
The second change is a purely tactical maneuver aimed at exploiting the used surface at the Premadasa Stadium. India is reportedly planning to bench left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh in favor of premier wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
While Arshdeep has been a consistent performer, the management believes Kuldeep’s mastery over Pakistani middle order, which has struggled against his variations in the past, is more critical on this grippy surface.
Kuldeep’s record against Pakistan is nothing short of elite, boasting 23 wickets across formats with a staggering average of 12.56. On a track where spinners are expected to control the middle overs, his partnership with Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy could prove to be the decisive factor.
