India's batting coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar has downplayed the high-stakes pressure surrounding the upcoming Asian Games gold medal match against Pakistan, stating that the team views the intense rivalry through a strictly professional lens.
Despite the massive global attention an India-Pakistan final naturally commands, Kanitkar emphasized that the contest ultimately boils down to fundamental execution: facing a bowler or bowling to a batter.
"A lot of eyeballs will be there, but for the players, to be frank with you, it's facing a bowler or bowling to a batter. So that's what it comes down to, and that's what professionals do. So that's what we'll be focused on," Kanitkar told reporters on the eve of the match.
Kanitkar rejected suggestions that recent results between India and Pakistan in other sports—such as India's victory in the men's hockey semi-final and a loss in the men's volleyball quarter-final—would place added pressure on the cricket team.
"No, it doesn't. Frankly, as I said earlier, every international match brings pressure. So we need to be in our zone, we need to be at our best, and that's what we focus on. Shutting out all the other noise is part of professional cricket and sport, and that's what we'll look to do," he added.
Kanitkar noted that the squad remains in high spirits following a dominant semi-final win over Sri Lanka, expressing confidence in their preparations despite weather-disrupted training sessions.
"The team's done well. We just got one game to play, and it was a good outing for the players. We are confident, and the team is confident. Our preparation has been good despite the weather. It's been very good, so we are happy with the place we are in."
Kanitkar emphasized that the squad's primary motivation is to professionally perform on the field and win a medal to contribute to India's overall medal tally rather than paying attention to rivalry chatter.
"It is extremely special because it goes into the medal tally for the country. Like other Indian athletes, we work hard to win gold, silver or bronze medals, and it's not easy.
"So we are really looking forward to this game, really looking forward to doing very well and winning it so that we can add to the country's medal tally. That's really high on our list, and it will be a proud moment for us."
The batting coach confirmed that the team composition will be finalised on Saturday morning upon inspecting the pitch.
"It looks okay. It was covered, so we'll have to come back tomorrow and have a look at how it will play and then decide whether to bat or bowl. It has been covered today, so we'll see tomorrow," Kanitkar remarked.
Reflecting on his famous match-winning boundary against Pakistan in the 1998 Independence Cup final in Dhaka, Hrishikesh Kanitkar stated that championship matches ultimately come down to executing under pressure and winning the most crucial moments of the game.
"It was more than 20 years ago, but I'll take that. The moments are what matter in big games. Who wins those crucial moments? Our players have done it in the past at various levels, and we're confident we'll do it again. To answer your question, it's very important to win those crucial moments."
"This is one more international game that my team will be playing, and it's for the Asian Games gold medal, so that's the importance of the game. For international players, each and every game is important. Everything is scrutinised, everything is closely watched. So I think it's as important as all the other games we have been playing," he concluded.
