IND vs PAK 2022: [Watch] Elated fans cheer for Men in Blue during practice session in Melbourne ahead of their 1st T20 World Cup game
Team India will kick start their T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday, October 23. The Men in Blue are leaving no stone unturned as they prepare for the blockbuster Super 12 clash.
In a video shared on YouTube, many fans came to cheer on the Indian players at the practice facility outside the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during their training session on Saturday.
Elated fans who gathered to see the Indian cricketers train, cheered for the Men in Blue, chanting:
"World Cup jeetega India (India will win the World Cup."
Watch the clip here:
Rohit Sharma and Co. will be keen to avenge the defeat against Pakistan they suffered in the Super 4 stage at the Asia Cup 2022. Team India also lost their last T20 World Cup fixture against Babar Azam and Co. in a one-sided game by 10 wickets in Dubai.
Pakistan, meanwhile, will look to continue their good form against India at the showpiece T20 event Down Under. They have beaten India twice in the last three T20Is.
“This Pakistani team is a very challenging team”- Rohit Sharma ahead of Indo-Pak clash in T20 World Cup
Rohit lauded Babar Azam and Co. ahead of the Super 12 clash at the T20 World Cup. He said that on a given day, the Pakistani team are good enough to beat any opposition.
Addressing reporters ahead of the game, he said:
“This Pakistani team is a very challenging team, all the Pakistan teams I have played against from 2007 to 2022, they have been a good team. It is just that, I believe on that particular day, kind of thing.
"On that particular day, if you are good enough, you will beat any opposition. And on the day if you are good, you will take the win and go home.”
Meanwhile, Rohit denied making any statement regarding the ongoing war of words between the BCCI and the PCB.
The BCCI secretary Jay Shah said that India wouldn’t travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023 and that the tournament would be played at a neutral venue.
The PCB retorted strongly, saying the decision might affect Pakistan's participation in next year’s ODI World Cup in India. Rohit told the reporters:
“There is no point thinking about it, the BCCI will make decisions on that. We are just thinking about being focused on tomorrow's game."
#TeamIndia begin their nets session ahead of #INDvPAK tomorrow at #T20WorldCup https://t.co/at7JZWPS03
India squad for T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Shami.
Standby Players: Mohammed Siraj, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, and Shardul Thakur.
Pakistan squad for the T20 World Cup: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shan Masood.
Standby Players: Usman Qadir, Mohammad Haris, and Shahnawaz Dahani.