ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Rohit Sharma downplays India vs Pakistan clash hype
Published - 02 Feb 2025, 02:10 PM | Updated - 02 Feb 2025, 02:16 PM
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Rohit Sharma has downplayed the huge hype surrounding India vs Pakistan clash in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, calling it "just a game”. The cricket world is all set to witness yet another mouth-watering clash between the old foes in Dubai, UAE, later this month.
The India vs Pakistan clash in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is scheduled for February 23 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, UAE. This is the same venue where the Men in Green had defeated India by 10 wickets in a 2021 T20 World Cup group match and scripted history.
Pakistan has a better record against India in the Champions Trophy
However, India has a perfect record against Pakistan in ODI World Cups, winning every encounter. However, the story is different in the Champions Trophy, where the Men in Green have managed to defeat the Indian cricket team three times out of the five times they have faced each other.
Even in the last Champions Trophy final, the Pakistani team defeated the Indian side and clinched the title back in 2017. This makes the India vs Pakistan rivalry in the Champions Trophy much more competitive and thrilling, with the upcoming encounter set to add another exciting chapter to this historic rivalry.
Rohit Sharma calls India vs Pakistan clash "just another match" ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Despite the pressure and hype that surrounds the high-stakes India-Pakistan rivalry, Rohit Sharma insisted that the Indian team's focus remains on doing what’s needed to win on the day in the upcoming clash in Dubai. The Indian skipper also said that their goal is to perform well, just as any team would in any match, with no extra emotional weight attached to the biggest clash of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Rohit Sharma said at the Naman Awards 2024: “I think in the past two or three years, I’ve spoken a lot about that (India vs. Pakistan) game. It’s just a game for us. We will try and do what is required for any cricket team to do on that particular day. We just want to show up there and show up well.”
Notably, the seasoned Indian opener had won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 under MS Dhoni’s leadership, and now he is eager to lead the country to another ICC title to add to their collection after guiding them to the ICC T20 World Cup glory last year.
Read Also: Rohit Sharma reveals a new story about India's T20 World Cup win in 2024
We look forward to another ICC title: Rohit Sharma
With the ICC Trophy now coming around every year, Rohit noted that the team must always be ready for the next challenge and his team is ready to bring home another prestigious title next month after ending an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy last year in the USA and Caribbean.
He further explained, “The ICC Trophy, as we know, comes every year now. So, there’s no time for you to take your foot off the pedal. You always want to be ready for that challenge. We recently finished the T20 World Cup, which was superb for us. Now, we look forward to another one.”
Rohit Sharma opens up about India's CT 2025 preparations
Speaking about the team’s preparations for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Indian captain also mentioned that players are preparing in their ways, but when the time comes, it’s all about mental preparation and focusing on the upcoming challenges.
Rohit signed off by saying, “Everyone’s getting prepared in their own fashion. A lot of the guys are playing domestic cricket, and a lot of guys are playing international cricket as well. So, yeah, when the time comes, it’s all about just getting your mind right and focusing on what lies ahead.”
