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The excitement among fans for the upcoming T20 World Cup is gathering speed with every passing day as just over two weeks remain before the multi-national competition gets underway in Australia. The tournament is scheduled to begin on October 16 with Team India slated to start their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on October 23. The two teams will square off against each other for the fourth time in a span of a year.
Pakistan trounced India by 10 wickets in the T20 World Cup match last year in UAE while both teams registered a win against each other in the Asia Cup 2022. The Men in Blue will be desperate to exact revenge after suffering an awful defeat against the Men in Green last year and also for their loss in Asia Cup this year.
However, Pakistan will have an ace up their sleeve in Haris Rauf, a bowler who has played plenty of cricket at the MCG for Big Bash League (BBL) franchise Melbourne Stars.
Rauf, who orchestrated a famous win for Pakistan in the fourth T20I against England with a match-winning spell, has exuded confidence in executing his skills against India in favourable setting.
“The match between India and Pakistan is always a high-pressure game. Whoever the opponent is, it's always a high-pressure game. In the World Cup last year, I was feeling so much pressure. But in the past two matches in the Asia Cup, I didn't feel much of it because I knew I just had to give my best,” Haris Rauf said in the post-match interview after the fifth T20I against England.
“If I give my best, they won't be able to play me easily. For the upcoming World Cup match, I'm very happy because it is at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It is my home ground because I play for the Melbourne Stars and I have the idea of how the conditions play out there. I've already started planning of how I would bowl against India,” Haris further added.
