Mohammad Rizwan, IND vs PAK
Mohammad Rizwan (Image Credit: Twitter)

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan said that India vs Pakistan match is being hyped on social media by cricket fans.

When India clashes against Pakistan, it is an elation of any cricketing fan to watch for. The level of intensity of this game is the foremost thing even a passive cricket viewer will acknowledge about. However, due to the political tensions between the two neighbouring countries, their meeting has been limited to ICC events.

During their last clash in a bilateral series, in 2012-13, Pakistan won 2-1 in the One-day internationals while sharing the T20I series with 1-1. Eight years after the clash, the two sides haven’t met apart from playing in multi-team tournaments like World Cup and Asia Cup.

India vs Pakistan match hype is being created by social media and fans: Mohammad Rizwan

Both teams will face each other in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 on October 23 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, Rizwan said that his team will be approaching the match against India like any other game and won’t let the pressure mount on their mind.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar - India vs Pakistan
Bhuvneshwar Kumar. (Photo: Twitter)

“This India-Pakistan match, we will consider it like any other game. The hype is being created by social media and fans, which is fine, but in our hearts and minds, we will consider this game the same as the one against any other side.

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“Because, if we as players take on the additional pressure of this game, then that won’t be as good as it has happened before,” Rizwan said during a virtual press conference.

Pakistan does not have any special advantage in UAE: Mohammad Rizwan

Pakistan hasn’t played much on their home soil in the aftermath of the terror attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009. Since then, Pakistan has played most of its games in the United Arab Emirates, the hosts for the T20 World Cup.

Many experts believe that the Babar Azam-led team will have the advantage over other teams in the showpiece event because of their familiarity with the UAE pitches and conditions.

Rizwan dismissed this notion and said that Pakistan wouldn’t have the home advantage of playing in UAE as they will be like any other team when it comes to playing on UAE pitches.

“I have never been a believer in the fact that any one side, including Pakistan, has any special advantage in UAE or anywhere else. All we can say is that the tournament is being held in Asia as I consider the UAE to be in Asia,” Rizwan said.

RanBabar Azam, Ramiz Raja
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan [Image-Getty]
“Yes, we have been playing there for a while, and we used to say that UAE is our home ground, but I never accepted that because the pitches there, from what I understood, were made with soil from Australia or from other parts of the world. So, even if UAE was called our home ground, that was not the case,” he added. 

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Apart from India, Pakistan is paired with Afghanistan, New Zealand, and two more teams that are likely to be determined in the qualifiers stage in the Group 2 of the Super 12 stage.

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