India To Play Pakistan In ICC Champions Final On June 18

Canadian cricket fans will be glued to their television sets on June 18 as the ICC Champions Trophy final is scheduled to take place. India and Pakistan have both made it to the finals but it will be India who go in as favorites because they are the defending champions and have also defeated Pakistan during this edition of the ICC Champions Trophy.

There is a huge Indian population in Canada who love their cricket and they will not only be following the game but many of them will also be betting on India who holds the upper hand against Pakistan in ICC Champions Trophy matches.

The match will take place at the Oval and Indian captain Kohli will be looking to win his first ICC Champions Trophy. These are the things that India must do to defeat Pakistan.

Openers Must Fire

Shikhar Dhawan has been in phenomenal form, hitting 3 half-centuries so far and Rohit Sharma scored his first half century in the game against Bangladesh on June 15. The two openers have done well for India and must once again get them off to a good start.

India Today

Kohli Must Play Captain’s Innings

Whenever Virat Kohli gets a big score, India usually end up winning. Kohli is without doubt one of the greatest ODI chasers in the history of the game and he must occupy the crease and look to get a big score on the board. Should Kohli win the toss, he might want to bat first as the pressure of chasing in a final will be immense. That being said, Kohli thrives on pressure and depending on the weather forecast might also make the decision to bat second, should he win the toss.

Spinners Should Strangle Pakistan

Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin will most likely take the field against Pakistan and will have a big role to play. The pitch and conditions make it difficult for spinners but the experienced due will realize that even if they cannot pick up wickets, they will have to bowl tight and put the pressure on the Pakistani batsmen to force them to commit mistakes.

The X Factor

India has a number of exciting players who have not really had much opportunity to shine. Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni are big match players and will want to perform in a ICC Final yet again not only to help India win the Champions Trophy but also to send a message to the selectors that they still have a huge part to play in Indian cricket.