India’s 2007 T20 World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir said that it is crucial for the Indian team to face Pakistan in the early stages of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE, as they can then focus on the remaining games as well.

India-Pakistan rivalry is one of the hottest cricketing spectacles which happens exclusively in ICC tournaments for the past 8-9 years due to political tensions between the two nations.

India and Pakistan will lock horns in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 on October 24 in a group-stage encounter, ICC confirmed on Tuesday, while releasing the schedule of the tournament.

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"In 2007 as well, when we went out to win the World Cup, our first game was against Scotland, which was washed out, but then practically, our first game was against Pakistan. And that is exactly what I mentioned. It is important to play Pakistan in the early stages of the tournament because what happens is you don't want to keep thinking about Pakistan you can finish it off initially and concentrate on the entire tournament, and it is exactly the same for the fans and the country as well,” Gambhir said on Star Sports show Game Plan.

"Irrespective of what the result is, I am really happy for both the countries that they are going to play against each other in the initial stages,” he added.

India is yet to lose a game to Pakistan in T20 or ODI World Cups and had beaten their archrivals in the final of the 2007 event to become the first-ever T20 world champs.

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE and Oman will get underway from October 17, with the final to be played in Dubai on November 14. The Super 12 stage of the tournament will begin on October 23.

(ANI inputs)