India-Pakistan Is Always A Much-Anticipated Match: Virat Kohli

The twelfth edition of the World Cup will get underway on May 30 with hosts England taking on South Africa. The tournament will last for 45 and will end with the final at the iconic Lord’s on July 14. But it would not be entirely wrong to say that all eyes are on the marquee clash between India and Pakistan. The arch-rivals will clash in the tournament on June 16 in Manchester. However, ahead of the high-voltage clash, India skipper Virat Kohli has tried to downplay the hype surrounding the match. Kohli has said that the game would be just like any other game for the team.

India will definitely start as favourites not only because of the current form but also because of their track record against their arch-rivals in the World Cup. India and Pakistan have so far played six games against each other in the World Cup and the former have won on all the occasions.

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“I think India-Pakistan is always a much-anticipated match. We keep saying again and again. If you ask the players, it’s very different from how the fans feel. Yes, we feel the anticipation and excitement when we enter the stadium. But as soon as you enter the field, it’s very professional,” Virat Kohli said.

“It’s just another game you need to win as a team. Yes, it brings pressure because the atmosphere in the stadium is very different. But as soon as we enter the ground, it’s a game of cricket for all of us. We keep saying this again and again, but that’s the truth,” he added.

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India and Pakistan, meanwhile, had last met in the Asia Cup last year. Both the teams had played two games in the tournament and India had won both of them convincingly before going on to lift the trophy. The Men in Blue will be looking to replicate their Asia Cup heroics in the World Cup too.