PAKISTAN will take on India in a high-stakes Champions Trophy match on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium, with a sell-out crowd expected. A defeat for Pakistan would put them on the brink of elimination from the tournament.
The two teams only meet in multi-nation tournaments due to political tensions, and this match is being held in Dubai after India declined to travel to tournament hosts Pakistan.
Pakistan, led by Mohammad Rizwan, lost their opening game to New Zealand by 60 runs in Karachi. They now need a win against India to keep their semi-final hopes alive in the eight-team competition.
New Zealand lead Group A, followed by India, who defeated Bangladesh by six wickets on Thursday. Pakistan are at the bottom of the group. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
"If we want to win against the great teams of the world and be one of the great teams of the world, we will have to bring consistency," Pakistan batsman Salman Ali Agha said. "We can't play well in one game and bad in another."
Pakistan recently chased 353 against South Africa in a tri-nation tournament but were bowled out for 242 in the final, losing to New Zealand.
They suffered a setback in their last match when Fakhar Zaman sustained a muscle injury, ruling him out of the tournament. Imam-ul-Haq has replaced him in the squad. Pakistan won the previous Champions Trophy in 2017, defeating India in the final.
Since then, India have dominated their ODI encounters, winning five of the last six meetings, with one match abandoned due to rain. Their last one-day meeting was in the 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad, where India won by seven wickets.
Confident India
A loss for Pakistan would end their chances of progressing in the tournament, which is their first ICC event since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.
India started their campaign with a win against Bangladesh, successfully chasing 229 with 21 balls to spare. Shubman Gill scored an unbeaten 101, his second consecutive ODI century, while Mohammed Shami took 5-53.
India can move closer to the semi-finals with a victory.
"After winning, there is no point in having a mindset," Shami said about facing Pakistan next. "You should stay in the same frame (habit) when you win a match and when you perform well. I don't think you need to think too much about the ICC tournament or any international match."
Fast bowler Harshit Rana, who took three wickets against Bangladesh, shared a similar sentiment.
"It's great to perform ahead of the Pakistan match, and hopefully I can take this momentum forward," Rana said. "But the Pakistan match is just another game for us."
India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series for over a decade due to political tensions. India last toured Pakistan for the 2008 Asia Cup.
(With inputs from AFP)
Diwali illuminations in Leicester (Pic credit: Beth Walsh Photography) Beth Walsh Photography 