Ahead of the most-awaited match of the T20 World Cup 2024 between India and Pakistan, former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu described the high-voltage clash as the mother of all battles.
The Men in Blue are entering this match after an 8-wicket victory against Ireland, while Babar Azam-led Pakistan suffered a disappointing super-over loss to the US in their previous game of the marquee event.
Sidhu emphasized the intense pressure of expectation that surrounds the India vs Pakistan match. “If you’re winning against Pakistan then you are zero from hero even if you have not done anything in your previous seven matches. It is the mother of all battles and the most important thing here is the pressure of expectation,” Sidhu said.
Sidhu added that India will have an advantage since the Men in Green have not performed well in their previous matches. He further mentioned that India’s dominant form and in-form players give them an edge. “India will have an advantage because Pakistan have not performed in their previous matches. They lost against England, in the warm-up match and also against the US. On the other hand, India is in the ascendancy and all the players are in form. Pakistan’s batting lineup is not working and they are not aware of the conditions here in New York,” he added.
However, Sidhu pointed out that despite India’s advantage, Pakistan remains unpredictable and capable of surprising on any given day. “India will have an advantage but on a given day Pakistan can do anything,” he noted.
India T20 WC Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Pakistan T20 WC Squad: Babar Azam (C), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.
