Babar Azam-led Pakistan haven't performed upto their full potential in the ODI World Cup 2023 and are currently battlling out to make their way to the semifinals, which seems unlikely, given the precarious position they are in. Pakistan started their World Cup campaign on a high with two back-to-back victories but then they met India in their third World Cup league match. India went on to hand Pakistan a massive defeat and since then the Men in Green couldn't recover. Babar's army lost four matches on the trot but the it was the defeat against Afghanistan which dented their confidence and took it to a new low. However, Pakistan after recording four straight losses managed to eke out a win against Bangladesh and now have three wins in a total of seven matches in the ongoing World Cup 2023.
Meanwhile, Babar's brigade are now gearing up to take on New Zealand in a do-or-die match and right ahead of the clash Pakistan's star all-rounder Imad Wasim, who isn't participating in the World Cup 2023, made a sensational claim. Imad said Pakistan can defeat India if they manage to make it to the semifinals.
With the echo of Pakistan's 2017 Champions Trophy final victory over India lending a historical edge to his words, Wasim's confidence in his team’s capabilities speaks volumes. “Pakistan can defeat India in this World Cup semifinal. We defeated them in the 2017 Champions Trophy final too after losing to them badly in our first match,” Imad said in a TV show.
Imad also delved into the ever-present comparisons between his captain, Babar and India's batting juggernaut Virat Kohli. Despite acknowledging the brilliance of his own teammate, Wasim's words underscored a profound respect for Kohli's mastery with the bat.
“Virat Kohli is the best batter of this era, he should not be compared to anyone. He knows how to pace his innings, he’s a master and he’s a genius. He is hungry for success just like Cristiano Ronaldo is,” Imad added
Kohli narrowly missed out on emulating Sachin Tendulkar's World Record of 49 ODI tons in the World Cup match against Sri Lanka on Thursday, November 3. Kohli scored an impressive 88 to help India beat Sri Lanka by 302 runs, continuing his run spree in the ongoing World Cup.
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