"Expectations will be really high from Pakistan, but India is far superior at the moment" - Gautam Gambhir
Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir opined that even though expectations will be high from Pakistan, India are far superior to their arch-rivals at the moment. Since the series against South Africa in September 2019 (that ended in a 1-1 draw), Team India has won six T20I series on the trot before losing a 3-match series to Sri Lanka last month. That loss came chiefly due to the Covid-19 outbreak in the Indian camp.
The Pakistan team has played 34 T20Is since October 2019. They have won 16 games and lost 13 contests. They recently won a series against West Indies but lost the previous one against the England team (by 1-2). India and Pakistan will clash in the first Super12 fixture of group 2 on October 24 in Dubai.
Speaking on Star Sports show Game Plan, Gautam Gambhir gave his opinion on Pakistan and Afghanistan's chances at the upcoming T20I World Cup. He said:
"Expectations are going to be really high from Pakistan. At the moment, if you see, India is far more superior to Pakistan. Yes, in a T20 format, anyone can beat anyone because it is a very individual kind of format, and we should not take any team for granted. For example, you should not take Afghanistan for granted. People like Rashid Khan can create upsets. It's the same with Pakistan. But, yes, there will be pressure on Pakistan."
"You can't take Afghanistan team lightly as well. I have always been a believer that if you want to talk about one team that is going to be a real underdog in this tournament, that must be Afghanistan. Additionally, they have got people like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb, and Mohd Nabi, you can't take them lightly,"
"Group 1 is the group of death, and that's actually the real group" - Gautam Gambhir
Former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir felt the competition looked more intense in group 1 when compared to the other group. He also termed it 'a group of death'. England, Australia, West Indies, South Africa, and two other qualifying teams will battle it out in group 1 for the two semi-final spots up for grabs in the Super12 stage of the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Speaking about the chances of West Indies, England, and Australia at the World Cup, Gambhir said:
"Group 1 is the group of death, and that's actually the real group. You've got four teams locked in and playing what, on day one of the T20 World Cup, that's going to be a very exciting Saturday. West Indies have always been very unpredictable with the kind of firepower they've got, they can go on to win the third time as well."
"England has also got the firepower. They have probably got the most consistent white-ball team over the last couple of years as they also won the 50-over World Cup in 2019. Australia has literally gone off the radar, probably because a lot of main players are missing, but then again, I think they can be very dangerous on that particular day," Gambhir added.
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