"There’s no pressure at all" - Pakistan pacer downplays hype ahead of 2025 Champions Trophy clash against India
Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf has claimed that they are feeling no pressure ahead of the high-voltage clash against Team India on February 23, Sunday in Dubai. The right-arm speedster claimed that everyone is treating the game as just any other and the defending champions will look to put their best foot forward.
The Men in Green's game against India will be a must-win clash on Sunday as a defeat would mean they are almost certain to be knocked out early from the eight-team tournament. Pakistan are coming from a heavy 60-run loss to New Zealand in the opening game in Karachi as the Kiwis outplayed them across facets.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Rauf said, as quoted by A Sports:
"There’s no pressure at all; everyone is relaxed, and we’ll approach the match just like any other normal game. All the boys are positive and will try their best. Every match is important for us, and everyone will give their maximum effort. The goal is to put in full effort across all three departments and plan accordingly to win this match."
Pakistan have already lost Fakhar Zaman due to a back injury and are likely to slot Imam-ul-Haq to open with Babar Azam against India. With Pakistan's performance in the powerplay against New Zealand getting widespread criticism, they must get it right on Sunday to achieve a favorable result.
"Many of the boys are confident that it will be a good game" - Haris Rauf optimistic about Pakistan's chances
The 31-year-old feels their victories over India in T20 World Cup 2021 and Asia Cup 2023 in Dubai can give Pakistan some confidence. He added:
"No doubt, we have defeated India twice at this venue, and we will try to play the same kind of cricket that helped us win those matches. Many of the boys are confident that it will be a good game. The record here is quite good, but in the end, it all depends on what the conditions demand. Sometimes, it turns into a spin-friendly track, but the focus is to utilize the conditions in the best possible way."
The two sides were notably the finalists in the 2017 edition, which India lost by 180 runs at the Oval.