Suresh Raina, former Indian cricketer, stated that Pakistan always played their ‘hearts out’ against the men in blue on the pitch as both sides gear up for another high-voltage clash in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The Sunday evening will see the Dubai International Stadium house one of the most sought and mouth-watering fixtures in cricketing history as India locks horns with arch-nemesis Pakistan in the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup.
The two teams had met at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time in the group stages in 2007 when India won in a bowl-out. India won the 2007 T20I World Cup by beating Pakistan in the final while Pakistan won the next T20I World Cup in 2009.
Suresh Raina: Pakistan Always Played Their Hearts Out
Ahead of the high octane clash, Suresh Raina shared his experience from the much-important match on 24th October, Sunday. Pakistan has never beaten India at a World Cup but most recently, beat the Indian team in the final of the Champions Trophy in 2017. Both India (2007) and Pakistan (2009) are former champions in the World T20 and have played plenty of cricket in UAE thanks to IPL and PSL.
“My experience in matches against Pakistan was that they always played their hearts out,” wrote Suresh Raina in his column for the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday.
“When India and Pakistan play, it’s always exciting and good for fans to watch. Many millions of people tune in and expect to be entertained – they are never disappointed. That was true from the start at the T20 World Cup and then they met in the final of the first tournament, with India winning by five runs, ” wrote Suresh Raina.
“I was involved in the games in 2014 and 2016. If you ask me, as a player, it was always a high-pressure game. In the build-up, everyone is just telling you how big it is. You need to make sure you calm your nerves, focus on the process and play 40 overs of good cricket. It’s easier said than done, but it’s the only way to try to win that game,” Suresh Raina added.
India-Pakistan faced each other last in the 2019 ODI World Cup round-robin stage, where the former won by 89 runs (DLS method). Their last T20 World Cup face-off resulted in India’s 6-wicket win over Men in Green in Kolkata in the 2016 edition. However, due to the unfortunate political situation, the two teams haven’t played a bilateral series since 2012-13. Pakistan and India’s last bilateral ties at either of the two neighbouring countries were 2 T20Is and 3 ODIs in India way back in 2012.
Suresh Raina: Both Babar Azam And Virat Kohli Are Excellent Leaders, And Will Look To Lead Respective Teas From The Front
After almost two years, Virat Kohli-led India will face-off against Babar Azam-led Pakistan to rekindle the age-old rivalry. Pakistan is yet to win a single game over their arch-rivals in World Cups as the Men in Blue have heavily dominated the head-to-head.
However, both teams have entered the tournament with a fresh perspective, filled to the brim with enormous young talents like India’s Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Varun Chakravarthy and Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi and the hunger and eagerness to prove themselves on the biggest stage.
“This year, it will be exciting as both Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are excellent leaders, and knowing how important the game is, there will be so much passion on show from both teams. You know that the captains will set the example on that front, and that passion filters through to the rest of the team. Babar is one of the leading T20I batters in the world. Like Virat Kohli, he is proof that good batting and good captaincy go hand in hand,” Suresh Raina pointed.
The stakes are at an all-time high, with Virat Kohli and Co. looking to continue their dominance against Pakistan in this clash. Both sides have a strong lineup in both batting and bowling departments, and on the day of this significant fixture, only time will tell which side will emerge triumphantly. India has a 12-0 win-loss record in World Cups against Pakistan in World Cups-T20I, ODI.