Former India pacer Atul Wassan made a surprising remark as he said that he wants Mohammad Rizwan-led Pakistan to win the high-voltage encounter against India in Dubai on February 23. Wassan feels the tournament will be fun if Pakistan win the contest.
"I want Pakistan to win because it will be fun, tournament-wise. If you don't let Pakistan win, then what will you do? If Pakistan wins, then it becomes a contest. There should be an equal fight," Wassan told ANI.
After a 60-run defeat to Mitchell Santner's New Zealand in tournament opener, the clash against India is a must-win game for them. If they win, they will have a chance to qualify for the semifinals. Also, India won't be knocked out of the tournament either. If they lose to Pakistan, they can beat New Zealand and progress to the Super Four, considering their Net Run Rate (NRR) is higher in case three teams end up with four points.
Pakistan are currently at the bottom of the points table as they were bowled out in the run chase against the Kiwis. Their NRR is -1.200. India won by six wickets in their opening game against Bangladesh and are placed second on the table. If India beat Pakistan, they will almost cement their place in the last four.
Wassan lauds the 'best team'
Meanwhile, Wassan lauded the depth in India's batting. He praised the decision to include five spinners in the squad considering the spin-friendly conditions in Dubai.
"You have a lot of good batters: Shubman (Gill), Rohit (Sharma), Virat (Kohli). You are batting until number eight in Axar Patel. Rohit has picked five spinners, and this team is best for Dubai. Have faith in what you have and move ahead," the 56-year-old added.
Wassan unhappy with Pant warming benches
Wassan also expressed his disappointment over head coach Gautam Gambhir keeping Rishabh Pant on the bench.
"Gautam Gambhir is picking his own team. I am just very upset that Rishabh Pant is not playing. I don't know why. He's a mercurial player who makes the other team nervous. They feel that he will single-handedly win the match. KL Rahul is a very good player but does not attract such fear from the opposition. You let Rishabh Pant down. If you let a good player enter this situation that he won't play, the hero in him becomes zero," Wassan said.
Pant did not get a chance to play in the ODI series against England as well. In the current team, Rahul is India's first-choice wicketkeeper.