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Pakistan need to beat India to stay in contention for a place in the knockouts of the Champions Trophy.
Are Pakistan Under Pressure Ahead Of Marquee India Clash? Haris Rauf Answers (Picture credit: AP)
Star Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf has said that there is no pressure around their upcoming game against India and all the players are relaxed, even as the hype around the marquee clash between the arch-rivals increases with every passing day. Rauf added that Pakistan are going to go into the match like it is any other game.
Pakistan, after being defeated by New Zealand in the opener at Karachi, are required to defeat India to stay in contention for a place in the knockouts of the Champions Trophy.
India, on the other hand, will be coming into the high-pressure match on the back of a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh where Shubman Gill scored an unbeaten, match-winning hundred.
“There is no pressure in the match against India, all the players are relaxed and we will take it just like any other match,” Rauf said while speaking to the media at the Dubai International Stadium.
Rauf insisted that he was ‘100%’ match-fit and had proven this by bowling his quota of 10 overs against the Kiwis, but he was expensive, giving away 83 runs while picking two wickets, including Daryl Mitchell and a set Glenn Phillips.
“We have beaten India in Dubai twice before, so we know the conditions here very well. Our entire game plan will depend on the conditions and pitch on match day,” Rauf said.
The star Pakistan pacer said that the game against New Zealand is now in the past and the players are now focused on the India game.
“Yes, the absence of Saim Ayub and now Fakhar Zaman is a big setback for us in the Champions Trophy. But we still have the players to perform well and take us through in this event,” Rauf said.
The star Pakistan pacer has not been at his best over the past two to three months, which included a week-long break after he injured himself in the opening game of the tri-series against the Kiwis and South Africa earlier this month.
Rauf has faced India thrice in ODIs, all in 2023. While he picked up three wickets in the first match, in the Asia Cup, he returned wicketless in the next two, first in the same edition of the tournament and then in the World Cup.
