Due to their strained political relationship, bilateral cricket between the arch-rivals remains suspended, and emotions run high on both sides of the border whenever they compete in multi-team tournaments.
The excitement for the October 23 blockbuster between the former champions in Melbourne is already building, but India captain Rohit sought to downplay the hype surrounding one of cricket’s greatest rivalries.
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“We understand the importance of the game, but there’s no point in talking about it every time and creating that pressure within yourself,” the batsman said during the captains’ pre-tournament media interaction.
While fans view every Indo-Pak match as a competition with one, the sides’ sense of unity was evident at the recent Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Rohit and his teammates were seen wishing Shaheen Afridi a speedy recovery from a knee injury, while the Pakistan fast bowler wished for Virat Kohli to return to form.
“At the Asia Cup, and now here, whenever we meet, we talk about how things are back home, how the families are,” Rohit said.
“The previous generation of cricketers told us they too used to chat about these things — ‘how’s life? Which car are you buying, or planning to buy?’”.
Despite the fierce rivalry on the field, Babar confirmed the sides’ off-field friendship.
“We don’t even talk cricket when we meet,” the stylish opener said. “He (Rohit) is senior to me. Whenever we come across, I try to tap into his experience since he has served India for such a long time. It’s always good to learn from someone’s experience.”
Despite his good mood, Babar was fully aware of the significance of Indo-Pak the match.
“Any match against India is always a high-intensity contest,” said the 28-year-old. “Fans also wait for them. On the field, we enjoy it a lot and give our 100 per cent.” Babar said.
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