Former India opener Virender Sehwag shared his thoughts on who will win the much-awaited ICC World Cup 2023 match between India and Pakistan, after the ICC announced the schedule and fixtures for the event on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
While England and New Zealand will play the opener on October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the big-ticket clash between India and Pakistan will happen at the same venue on October 15.
With less than four months to go for eight 50-over World Cup battle between India and Pakistan, Virender Sehwag has already spiced things up.
Sehwag has been part of two memorable India-Pakistan matches in World Cups in 2003 and 2011 and has passed his verdict on why Pakistan will find it hard to defeat India in their match in Ahmedabad.
India is yet to lose a 50-over World Cup match against their arch-rivals having notched up seven wins out of seven games. They have only lost one game in T20 World Cup to Pakistan in 2021, boasting domination over Men in Green in ICC events.
"Everybody knows that all the focus is going to be on the India vs Pakistan match. I am ready to have a battle with Shoaib Akhtar during that game... on social media. The record says that India hasn't lost a World Cup game to Pakistan. We are ahead 7-0, out of which we have chased just once. Otherwise, each time India has batted first and put up a match-winning total. I'm not sure what will happen that day (October 15), but the team that handles pressure well will win," Sehwag said on Star Sports.
India had last played Pakistan in a 50-over World Cup match in 2019, where the Men in Blue prevailed in a one-sided win in Manchester. In ICC events, India defeated Pakistan by 3 wickets in the T20 World Cup 2022 in MCG where Virat Kohli probably played the best T20 knock of his career.
Sehwag added that Pakistan carries the burden of not having won against India in World Cups, while India handles pressure well than their Asian counterparts.
"I feel that now India handles pressure that is why they win whereas Pakistan have a burden that they haven't won against India. In the 1990s, they were good at dealing with pressure but after 2000, India soak it better. If any player says that they don't feel pressure, I don't think it's right. We used to say it too but at the end of the day, we know it's an India vs Pakistan game and emotions run high," added Sehwag.
The much-awaited encounter will be played in front of more than 1,00,000 spectators in Ahmedabad.
