What's the story?
Shahid Afridi expressed his views on the upcoming India-Pakistan match in a column for ICC Cricket ahead of the big game. The former Pakistani skipper said, "Ind vs Pak is one of those matches in which every move is dissected and each performance is discussed for years to come."
Discussing the chances that each team holds for winning, he wrote, "India enters the game against Pakistan on a high and has the ‘favourites’ tag. However, the ‘Green-shirts’ can surely spring a surprise with a committed and passionate performance according to present day cricket requirements. If Pakistan dismisses Kohli cheaply, it will increase its chances of restricting India to a low score," he added.
The arch rivals will face each other in Edgbaston on the 4th of June.
In case you didn't know...
The rivalry between India and Pakistan goes way back. The numbers favour India as the defending champions hold an 11-0 win-loss record against Pakistan in major ICC tournaments including the 50-over and T20 World Cups.
However, in the Champions Trophy, the two teams do not stand miles apart in terms of victories. Pakistan's win-loss ratio stands at 2-1 and they will be looking to build on that as they take on Kohli’s side.
The heart of the matter
India and Pakistan were placed in Group B and are set to face each other on Sunday. Afridi penned down the possibilities and expectations from this match in his column. Kohli's team are in good form and are considered by many to be favourites for the tournament.
Also read: ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Wahab Riaz a doubtful starter for Pakistan against India
Pakistan, on the other hand, are not in the same boat. They were the last team to earn their spot in the Champions Trophy, narrowly edging out West Indies, and will need to put on a stellar performance if they are to harbour any hopes of causing an upset.
What's next?
Interestingly, the two teams will meet at Edgbaston, the venue where India were first defeated by Pakistan in the Champions Trophy way back in 2004. The match itself is expected to be a cracker, weather permitting, and fans are expected to throng the stadium in numbers.
Author's Take
The India-Pakistan match is definitely one of the highest revenue generators for broadcasters and advertisers. The feud between the two sides has kept fans across the globe interested in the battle for years and that is set to continue.
Regarding Afridi’s statements, while India definitely enter the match as favourites, Pakistan have a lot more than just Kohli to deal with. Dhawan was in imperious form in the warm-up game and so too was Dinesh Karthik. However, the Men in Green definitely have the bowling attack to cause the Indians some problems and we will just have to wait and see how things transpire.
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