Watch: Rohit Sharma's candid conversation with Babar Azam ahead of Asia Cup blockbuster; video breaks the internet

The last time the two nations met was at the same venue, it turned out to be a lop-sided encounter. While Babar and Co. will hope for a repeat, the Indian unit, led by Rohit Sharma, will look to settle the score this time around.

The traditional rivalry between subcontinental rivals Pakistan and India reignites on Sunday as the cricket heavyweights square off against each other in Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE. The six-team tournament starts on August 27 with Sri Lanka taking on Afghanistan but the spotlight will be on the India-Pakistan fixture, which will have the Asian neighbours meeting after a ten-month gap. India, who begin their title defence against Pakistan, also look to avenge last year's defeat, having suffered a 10-wicket thrashing in the 2021 World T20.

Rohit Sharma (L) and Babar Azam(Twitter/PCB)

Ahead of the much-anticipated fixture, India captain Rohit Sharma and Pakistan skipper Babar Azam were spotted having a lengthy chat. In a video shared by Pakistan Cricket on Saturday, the two figureheads were in a jovial mood before the start of the competition.

Earlier, Babar met former India skipper Virat Kohli – a sight that sent social media into a frenzy. The two players had a chat before India's practice session in Dubai. In a video shared by the BCCI, Kohli can be seen exchanging pleasantries with the Pakistan star.

The last time the two nations met was at the same venue, it turned out to be a lop-sided encounter. While Babar and Co. will hope for a repeat, the Indian unit, led by Rohit, look to settle the score this time around.

Rohit looks to continue his team's attacking approach in the run-up to this year's World T20. Kohli, on the other hand, hopes to return to form after a subdued run in world cricket. It’s been over 1000 days since Kohli last scored a ton in international cricket and he will be looking to rediscover lost mojo in his 100th T20I appearance on Sunday.

After a month's rest, when he skipped India's white-ball tours of the West Indies and Zimbabwe, Kohli returns to action with the Asia Cup T20s.

"For the first time in 10 years I have not touched a bat in a month," Kohli told Asia Cup broadcasters Star Sports. "I came to the realisation that I was kind of trying to fake my intensity a bit, recently."

Meanwhile, Pakistan have to rely on their second-string pace attack after frontline pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi was ruled out for at least four to six weeks because of a knee injury he sustained while fielding during a Test in Sri Lanka last month.