In a recent press conference ahead of the much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash at the 2023 Asia Cup on Saturday, September 2, India's captain Rohit Sharma opted to downplay the historical rivalry that has always electrified matches between the two neighbouring nations. This will be the 14th time India and Pakistan face each other in the Asia Cup's ODI format. Out of the past 13 encounters, India has claimed victory seven times, while Pakistan has won five, with one match ending inconclusively.
Rohit Sharma seemed determined to keep the focus on the game itself rather than getting carried away by the historical context or nationalistic sentiments. "There are six very competitive teams in the Asia Cup and on a given day anyone can beat anyone," Rohit stated during the press briefing.
Elaborating further on the India-Pakistan rivalry, Rohit continued, "Rivalry is there for people to talk about. As a team, what we see is we have an opposition to play tomorrow and see what we want to do. What is going to help us is to keep doing the right things on the field."
Pakistan is coming into this Asia Cup in a strong position, recently achieving the No.1 ranking in ODIs, following a 3-0 series victory over Afghanistan. They also kickstarted their Asia Cup 2023 campaign with a dominant 238-run win over Nepal. Rohit didn't miss the opportunity to acknowledge the prowess of the Pakistani team led by Babar Azam. "Pakistan have played really well in recent times in both T20Is and ODIs. They worked really hard to be No.1 and it'll be a good challenge for us tomorrow," he said.
This measured approach by Rohit Sharma is indicative of the maturing perspective in international cricket that prefers skill and sportsmanship over hype and rivalry. As both nations gear up for what promises to be an enthralling contest, the emphasis remains on the quality of cricket rather than the political or historical narratives that often cloud such high-profile encounters. With teams as competitive as these, the upcoming match is all set to be a cricketing spectacle, regardless of the rivalry.
Meanwhile, Pakistan announced their playing XI on the eve of the the high-octane clash.
Pakistan's Playing XI vs India: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.
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