Despite India’s dominant record against Pakistan, Rohit though was not ready to rely on the past. At the same time, he also insisted that there is no additional pressure playing against their arch-rivals.
The line that separates confidence and over-confidence is paper-thin. And Indian skipper Rohit Sharma aims to tread it finely, as he spoke out about the expectations for their upcoming clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday, stating that he does not ever want to count them out.
India have always had an edge over Pakistan in the World Cups. In fact, The Men in Blue remain dominant over their arch-rivals in the T20 World Cup, having incurred only one loss and six wins in their seven previous meetings.
Rohit though was not ready to rely on the past. At the same time, he also insisted that there is no additional pressure playing against their arch-rivals.
“Nothing changes. We have played them seven months back in the Asia Cup and (ODI) World Cup. But T20 is unpredictable. That’s what T20 cricket is all about,” stated a calm Rohit at a presser.
“Last World Cup, Pakistan lost to Zimbabwe but ended up playing the final. On your day anyone can beat anyone,” he added.
It can be expected that the pace-heavy Babar Azam-led side may feature four pacers – Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf – against their arch-rivals India. The subpar nature of the New York stadium’s pitch will also be an X-factor that may determine the outcome of the game.
But despite it all, Rohit drew comfort from the team’s past experience of playing in pace-friendly countries like Australia and South Africa.
“When we play in places like South Africa, and Australia, we have to overcome the challenges. Gabba Test is one big example. We thrive in these difficult moments.
“It’s the World Cup so nothing can get bigger than this. The blows can be secondary and putting the team’s cause comes first,” said Rohit.
India will come into the contest having got the better of Ireland in their tournament opener by eight wickets. Meanwhile, Pakistan did not have a favourable start to the competition, as the Babar Azam-led side conceded a shock defeat at the hands of co-hosts USA. This will be the first time these two teams meet since they squared off at the 2023 ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad.
