• Pakistan is facing a must-win match after New Zealand defeat.
• India dominates rivalry and wins seven of the last eight ODDs.
• High feelings, full stadiums set the stage for Epic Dubai Showdown.

Dubai mirrors with excitement as Cricket’s toughest rivals, Pakistan and India, are preparing for a showdown with high-stakes in the ICC Champions Trophy today (Sunday).

With passionate fans from both nations ready to fill Dubai Cricket Stadium, expectation is always high among followers both at home and abroad for what promises to be an exciting competition.

Pakistan enters the match in a do-or-die situation after a crushing 60-run defeat to New Zealand in their tournament opener. Their title defense is already in danger, and Skipper Mohammad Rizwan’s men need a dramatic turn to keep their campaign alive.

Adding to their evils has opened Fakhar Zaman been excluded due to injury, while Batting Mainstay Babar Azam has been criticized for his lack of intent despite having scored a fifty in the last match.

To counter India’s strong batting device, Pakistan will probably rely on their rich heritage of fast bowling. The tempo trio in Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah will be the key in their suggestion to limit a formidable Indian lineup with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul.

India, who refused to travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy with reference to the Government Council, plays all their matches in Dubai. They started their group a campaign with a commanding victory with six wicket over Bangladesh. Even without a pace -spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, the men in Blue looked dominant, where Mohammed Shami led the bowling attack by demanding five wickets.

The Indian Batting device speared by the shaped Shubman Gill, who scored a brilliant 101 against Bangladesh, seems to be well equipped to deal with the Pakistani challenge. India has also dominated the rivalry in recent years and won seven of the last eight ended ODDs against Pakistan.

Their dominance is well documented, but Pakistan’s unpredictability in larger tournaments cannot be overlooked.

With emotions running high and a packed stadium expected, the clash promises to be nothing short of electrifying. Despite all pressure, Pakistan’s nation remains hopeful for a striking performance from their team to turn tables on India.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) President Mohsin Naqvi while talking to the media in Dubai, expressing confidence in the team ahead of the high-stakes meeting. He assured fans that the team was fully prepared and predicted an exciting competition. Recognizing ups and downs of the game remained naqvi optimistic and said, “Inshaallah, Pakistan will come out victorious.”

He further emphasized that a victory for the national battle would be a significant achievement for the country. Naqvi also sent a strong message of support to the players and assured them that winning or losing, the whole nation is behind them.

Squads

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (C), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha (VC), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tayyab Taybir and Usman Khan.

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Kl Rahul, Rishabh Mortgage, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, KoldeP Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.