Team India will kick start their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign against Pakistan.
1983 World Cup-winning skipper, Kapil Dev feels that Pakistan is a dangerous side and can defeat Team India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 if the Virat Kohli-led side failed to handle the pressure situations.
The clash between the two cricketing heavyweights will see India and Pakistan facing each other since Cricket World Cup 2019 and it will hold extreme importance for both sides considering the history and tension between the nations.
Many pundits have named their playing combinations for both the teams and have already predicted the result of the match. Former Indian skipper Kapil Dev is the new addition to the list and he feels that both the teams will be under immense pressure.
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He added that although he doesn’t know much about the current Pakistan side. they are a very dangerous side and can upset any team on a given day. He also said that the Indian team looks strong on the paper but it’ll be important for them to catch the rhythm as it’s the first match of the tournament.
“On the field, such things [which team will dominate] don’t matter. Both teams will be under pressure, thus it will be interesting to see who will handle the pressure well.
“Although I don’t know much about them, still I would say that Pakistan is a dangerous team in T20, they can defeat anyone on a given day. Indian team looks strong on paper but will they be able to catch the rhythm? It’s the first match of the tournament and it is the most important I feel,” Kapil Dev told ABP news.
Kapil Dev said that both the teams have not played against each other much and there would be a lot of uncertainty. He added that although Team India looks strong, Pakistan has a lot of unexpected players and if the Virat Kohli-led side fails to handle the pressure situations well, the Babar Azam-led side can defeat them.
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“Both teams have not played against each other, so surely the uncertainty would be there. The Indian team looks stronger, but Pakistan has a lot of unexpected players.
"Although I feel India should not be worried about it. The only thing is to perform well under pressure. Pakistan can win this match also if the Indian team is unable to handle the pressure,” he said.
Notably, Team India won both their warmup games while Pakistan failed to defend 187 against South Africa in their second warmup game. It would be interesting to see who among the arch-rivals will have the last laugh.
(ABP news inputs)