"I Want Pakistan To Win...": Ex-India Cricketer's Surprising Wish on Champions Trophy Clash
February 22, 2025: As India gears up to face Pakistan in the much-anticipated Champions Trophy 2025 showdown on Sunday, former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan has stirred up debate with his unexpected remark. Wassan stated that he wants Pakistan to win against India to keep the tournament competitive.
While India kicked off their campaign with a dominant six-wicket victory over Bangladesh, Pakistan suffered a 60-run defeat against New Zealand, putting them in a must-win situation.
Also Read: Yuzvendra and Dhanashree Divorce Twist: Lawyer Calls Out ‘Misleading Information’
“If Pakistan wins, then it becomes a contest. There should be an equal fight,” Wassan told ANI. “If you don’t let Pakistan win, then what will you do?”
Despite his controversial wish, Wassan praised India’s squad strength, particularly its batting depth and spin-heavy bowling attack suited for Dubai conditions.
“You have a lot of good batters: Shubman (Gill), Rohit (Sharma), Virat (Kohli). You are batting until number eight in Axar Patel. Rohit has picked five spinners, and this team is best for Dubai. Have faith in what you have and move ahead,” he added.
If Pakistan loses to India, their title defense could be in jeopardy, leaving them dependent on permutations and combinations for qualification.
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
With the high-stakes clash set for Sunday, all eyes will be on whether India maintains dominance or if Pakistan revives its campaign with a crucial win.
India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy, Atul Wassan Pakistan win, Champions Trophy 2025, India Pakistan cricket rivalry, ICC Champions Trophy latest news, India cricket squad, Pakistan must-win game, IND vs PAK match preview
Congress leader repeats ‘vote chori’ charge as Maharashtra results unfold January 16, 2026: Leader of…
Minister says island wants independence, not to become American January 16, 2026: Greenland’s Minister for…
Just 24 hours after a rare tactical "retired out" decision sparked intense debate across the…
Nationals urged to stay vigilant amid rising regional tensions January 16, 2026: Amid an uncertain…
Bollywood star Kartik Aaryan has reportedly taken a significant voluntary pay cut following the disappointing…
Ruling seen as boost for Trump administration’s national security crackdown January 16, 2025: A US…
