SUNDAY T20 WORLD CUP: The Edge previews PAKISTAN V INDIA with a recommended BETDAQ bet.
MATCH OVERVIEW:
The game that stops the cricketing world arrives on Betdaq Exchange as Pakistan and India clash in Colombo on Sunday! Both sides come into this match unbeaten with four points from two wins, and they will both surely go through, but this one is always about off field matters more than on field matters! The fact this game is even happening is a story in itself. Pakistan’s government announced on February 1st that they would boycott this very fixture – a decision taken in solidarity with Bangladesh after the ICC kicked them out of the tournament for refusing to play in India.
For about ten days, it looked like we were going to lose the single most commercially valuable fixture in world cricket. The ICC were staring down the barrel of an estimated $174 million loss in broadcast, sponsorship and gate revenue – they were talking about suing Pakistan or whatever way that was going to work out. Behind the scenes, the pressure was enormous with the money at stake. Sri Lanka got involved, obviously as the host venue, asking Pakistan to change their minds. The ICC’s broadcast deal for the 2024-27 cycle is worth $3 billion, and a guaranteed India v Pakistan match is baked into that valuation. Reports suggest each India-Pakistan encounter is worth around $250 million in broadcast money alone. After frantic negotiations in Lahore involving the ICC, BCB and PCB, a deal was struck – Bangladesh wouldn’t be sanctioned for their refusal to play in India, and they’d be awarded hosting rights for an ICC event in the 2028-31 cycle. Within an hour, Pakistan’s government reversed the boycott and directed the team to take the field.
It all worked out in the end, and here we are. Two of crickets biggest rivals face off again. One wonders will the game live up to the build-up now, surely there’s no matching all the drama in this build-up! Form goes out the window in these games – it’s all about who handles the pressure of billions of eye-balls. It’s never dull when India and Pakistan meet!
WEATHER AND PITCH WATCH:
Can you believe this, but after all the drama in actually getting the game on – we have some weather worries. It’s been a recurring theme in Sri Lanka for the last while to keep an eye on the radar. Sri Lankan weather is very hit-and-miss, but basically there’s low-pressure system developing in the Bay of Bengal, and forecasts are showing a 50-70% chance of rain during match hours on Sunday. We might have a delayed start looking at the radar, but things change very quickly. It’s hard to have a strong opinion on what is a par score with that in mind – do we even get the full 20 overs? It looks like conditions should suit the spinners, if the ball doesn’t get wet.
RECOMMENDED BET:
While the rivalry is like no other, India are the stronger side and there’s no surprise that they are the favourites. Pakistan cricket usually have some drama within their side, and of course the BCCI have all the money. India are trading around 1.4 at the time of writing, but I wouldn’t be rushing to take that given we do have weather worries. India v Pakistan; the form book means nothing. The off-field drama and the boycott situation could have galvanised Pakistan too – this fixture is probably bigger than a Final for them! I’m happy with a small bet on Pakistan as the outsiders here; there’s lots of ways this could be closer than the odds suggest.
The Edge Says:
One point win Pakistan to beat India at 3.45 with Betdaq Exchange
View the market here -> https://betdaq.biz/WCInPa
IN-RUNNING STRATEGY:
The absolute first priority here is the weather radar – probably have to spend most of the game checking that. On this pitch, I’d actually lean towards backing the team batting first – but obviously if there is bad weather around the advantage is usually to chase. That will make the decision at the toss quite difficult. Pakistan’s best chance is if their spinners can strangle India’s middle order in the powerplay and middle overs – this wicket should help the spinners too; I don’t expect it to be massively high-scoring.
