As everyone gets excited for the big India-Pakistan match in the Champions Trophy, former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina shared his thoughts on this fierce rivalry. Raina recalled memorable moments from past matches, especially highlighting Mohammed Amir’s outstanding bowling in the 2017 final. Amir took the important wickets of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, which helped Pakistan win that match.
Raina believes the upcoming game is a fresh chance for India to succeed. He expressed confidence in Virat Kohli, saying, “Virat will shine and help India win. He has the potential to do something special.” However, he also respected Pakistan’s strong bowling attack. Raina mentioned, “Pakistan has a great bowling lineup. Their left-arm fast bowlers play with a lot of heart, especially in Dubai, where they often feel like they have the home advantage.”
Raina pointed out that Pakistan is used to playing in Dubai, mentioning that India has had tough games there before. But he thinks this time will be different because Rohit Sharma understands how important these matches against teams like Pakistan are.
Talking about India’s top-order batting, Raina emphasized that one of the first three batsmen—Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, or Virat Kohli—needs to bat until at least the 35th over. Then, they can make big shots to score lots of runs.
The India-Pakistan matches always spark strong feelings from fans and players. Raina summed it up by saying, “The excitement is different when it’s India against Pakistan. Many Delhi fans might go to Dubai to watch the game.” He ended his thoughts with a motivating shout-out to Kohli, quoting former Pakistani bowler Shoaib Akhtar: “Wake up, Virat. You have to face Pakistan!”
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