Ahead of the much anticipated India versus Pakistan Group A clash in the Asia Cup 2018, veteran cricketer Irfan Pathan has picked fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar and right-hand opening batsman Rohit Sharma to be their team's trump cards against the arch-rivals on Wednesday, September 19. 

While both Rohit and Bhuvneshwar failed to get going against Hong Kong in the campaign opener, with the former scoring only 23 and the latter making a comeback after a long injury lay-off being largely inconsistent with his line and lengths, Pathan still has faith that the duo will raise their game on the big occasion. 

"Rohit Sharma will be the key. He is a kind of a batsman who can play a long innings, and he is also leading the side. I am also looking forward to watching Bhuvneshwar Kumar who is making a comeback [after nursing an injury]." said Pathan in an interview given to Sportstar Live and added, "In this scenario, Bhuvi, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are my favourite bowlers. They are special bowlers as they will be effective in all conditions. Among bowlers, Bhuvi will be the key with the new ball."

Having played against Pakistan a lot across all formats, Irfan knows a thing and two about the pressure that comes with being a player involved the high voltage encounter. He talked about the important mental aspect of the game and said, "People say you have to treat it as any other game. I, on the other hand, enjoyed the challenge of being under pressure. For me, the more the pressure, the more the enjoyment." adding, "If you shine in a big game, you come out as a better player. It is all in your mind if you want to take it up as a challenge."