IND vs PAK: "We Can See How Much Pressure Is There On Indian Players"- Naseem Shah's attack

Skillful Pakistani seamer Naseem Shah has claimed that players cannot relax for even a second or a single ball whenever there's an Indo-Pak clash.

The famous rivalry is all set to be renewed tonight as India and Pakistan gear up to lock horns at the Nassau County Stadium in New York. The two teams will be playing their 2nd Group A match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies from 8:00 PM (IST) onwards.

The hype around this match, as always, is going over the roof, and tension among fans is also going to increase as the day proceeds. We are also going to see some fiery individual match-ups between Naseem Shah-Rohit Sharma, Shaheen Afridi-Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah-Babar Azam.

There will be no shortage of fireworks, drama, tension, and most importantly pressure. And ahead of tonight's clash in New York, Naseem Shah shared his two cents on how much pressure players feel, be it from India or Pakistan.

Naseem Shah says Indian players also feel the pressure

If there's one thing that separates Indian and Pakistani players - is their mindset. While Indian cricketers are known for their ability to handle pressure, Pakistan cricketers have always been infamous for choking in cruel situations. The 2022 T20 World Cup Group match between the two teams is a prime example of it.

Pakistan could have easily won the tie at the Melbourne Cricket Ground but Virat Kohli handled the nerves so well that he snatched the victory altogether. Even someone like Ravichandran Ashwin, who had scored the winning runs that night, did not seem to be under any kind of pressure. For everyone watching the match, it's almost as if Indian players don't feel the pressure at all.

However, talented seamer Naseem Shah has a different thought to it. The right-arm bowler, from his own observation, claimed that Indian players also feel a lot of pressure and admitted that they handle it very well.

To be able to win an Indo-Pak match, the players need to ensure that they handle pressure nicely on the given day as the entire population is connected with the match. Naseem Shah also stated that it's a cricket game wherein players cannot relax for even a single ball.

"It's not as if there's pressure only on Pakistan and not on India, because we can see with our eyes how much they feel the pressure as well. How you perform on the day matters because both teams have some of the world's best players. The people in both countries are very involved, and I feel it's the only match where there isn't a single ball where you can relax." - Naseem Shah told ESPNcricinfo.

Pakistan is in a do-or-die situation

This particular match holds a lot of significance but tonight's clash in New York puts Pakistan in a do-or-die situation. After losing to the USA in their opening Group A game, Babar Azam's side has no option but to win against India.

2 points can ensure that the Men in Green stay relevant in the competition but a loss can virtually finish their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign.