Pakistan Will Aim to Beat India : Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has oozed positivity ahead of his team’s important match against India, citing the last two games between the arch-rivals in Dubai, both of which Pakistan won, albeit in the T20I format.
The much-awaited India vs Pakistan game in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be played on Sunday in Dubai. Both teams are coming off opposite results in their opening game of the tournament. Pakistan lost to New Zealand by 60 runs before India thumped Bangladesh by six wickets.
The IND vs PAK game is virtually a must-win contest for Pakistan to keep their fate of semi-final qualification in their own hands. Lose, and Pakistan will be all but out of the competition and would then have to hope that Bangladesh and India both beat New Zealand, and they would have to beat Bangladesh by a big margin as well. For India, a win will all but seal their spot in the semis.
Before the Champions Trophy, too, both teams had contrasting results. While India hammered England 3-0 in the ODI series, Pakistan lost the final of the tri-series to New Zealand.
Check Out: Pakistan Will Aim to Beat India, Says Haris Rauf
Pakistan Will Aim to Beat India, Says Haris Rauf
But Haris Rauf is optimistic about Pakistan’s chances because they are playing in Dubai. He pointed out that when these two sides met in Dubai the last two times—in the T20 World Cup 2021 and the Asia Cup T20 2022—Pakistan beat India on both occasions.
“We have beaten India twice here in Dubai. We will aim to make it three and repeat those performances. We are confident, and it will be a great match,” Rauf said.
For Pakistan, a do-or-die game: Haris Rauf
Rauf said his team has put behind the loss against New Zealand and would be taking the India game with fresh and clear minds. The speedster, though, understands the importance of this fixture in terms of Pakistan’s semi-finals hopes.
“What’s past is past. We are now focusing on the India game. We will address the mistakes we made in the previous game and try not to repeat them. For us, it’s an important fixture, a do-or-die game. We need to win this to stand a chance of qualifying for the semifinals,” Rauf added.
“The morale is not down; all the boys will try hard and give their best. It is an important fixture, and we will aim to perform well in all departments—batting, bowling, and fielding.”
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