Sidhu says 'no one can escape' impact of PAK v IND matches

Ahead of the PAK v IND T20 World Cup 2024 clash, former India opening batter Navjot Singh Sidhu said that no one can escape the psychological impact of the Pakistan-India rivalry.

The match will be held at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island, New York. For viewers in India and Pakistan, it would be at 8pm and 7:30pm respectively.

Sharing his thoughts on the rivalry between Pakistan and India, Sidhu said that “I used to think that if I wanted to be a hero, this was my chance. I believed that if I played well against Pakistan, the fans would forget all my bad innings. There were many opportunities. Chetan Sharma would often remind me that he had taken a hat-trick and claimed 200 wickets. But wherever I went, people only mentioned the time Javed Miandad hit me for a six.”

Recalling his favorite memory from match against Pakistan, he said “This incident highlights the psychological impact of India-Pakistan matches. No one can escape it. My best memory is when I was named Man of the Match against Pakistan. This sentiment is shared by everyone. Sometimes, it makes you sad, but you cannot avoid it. This intense rivalry, this love and clash, is what makes India-Pakistan matches so captivating.”

READ: Sidhu thinks Fakhar Zaman should open for Pakistan instead of Babar Azam

It is pertinent to mention here that out of seven matches played thus far between the arch-rivals, India emerged victorious six times while Pakistan tasted triumph only once.

The two teams boast contrasting momentums as India eased past Ireland by eight wickets in the campaign opener while the greenside succumbed to a humiliating defeat against the USA.

Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup 2024

Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub.

India squad for T20 World Cup 2024

Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya (vc), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.