Afridi has his say on high-voltage India-Pakistan match
Ahead of the crunch tie, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, during a fan session, was asked about the importance of the India-Pakistan game, and which team has a better chance of winning.
India vs Pakistan still is one of the biggest cricketing rivalries. Their battles in World Cups, India, Pakistan and in Sharjah have produced some memorable contests over the years. Javed Miandad's six off Chetan Sharma, Virender Sehwag's triple-century in Multan, Aaqib Javed's hat-trick, the Venkatesh Prasad-Aamer Sohail face-off, Sachin Tendulkar's fighting century at Chennai in a losing cause, the final of the first ever T20 World Cup final… the moments are endless.
The upcoming India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup match taking place in Dubai on October 24 holds plenty of significance. Due to the off-field circumstances, the two teams no longer play bilateral series, and only compete in ICC events. In fact, the last time the two teams played a bilateral series was in 2012/13, when Pakistan toured India for a three-ODI series and emerged victorious 2-1. Ever since, India and Pakistan have only battled in ICC events.
India have brushed aside Pakistan in the 2013 Champions Trophy, the 2014 World T20, 2015 World Cup, 2016 World T20, the league stage of 2017 Champions Trophy and 2019 World Cup. Pakistan on the other hand have beaten India only once – the CT final. Clearly, the odds are stacked in India's favour in the upcoming game as Virat Kohli's team has always had the upper hand against their Asian rivals.
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Ahead of the crunch tie, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, during a fan session, was asked about the importance of the India-Pakistan game, and which team has a better chance of winning. Afridi, who has been part of several memorable matches between the two teams in the past, responded by saying how an India vs Pakistan is always a high-pressure game. Hence, it's obvious that whichever team handles itself better, has a higher chance of emerging victorious.
"See, India vs Pakistan is always a high-pressure game. And whichever team handles pressure better will win. Also, whichever teams make the smallest of mistakes has a better chance of winning," the former Pakistan batsman said on his official YouTube video.
India have an impressive 12-0 record against Pakistan in World Cup matches, with the 1992 World Cup winners, still seeking their first win over their Asian neighbours. In the 50-over World Cups, India lead Pakistan 7-0, while boasting a 5-0 record at T20 World Cups.
