The official date for the World Cup 2023 between India and Pakistan is out and the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will be in for a blockbuster ride on October 15. India would be hoping to take their WC winning run over Pakistan to 8-0, while Babar Azam and Co. will leave no stone unturned to ensure the streak is broken. Although Pakistan broke their World Cup hoodoo against India in 2021 at Dubai, they are still in search for their first win over the arch-rivals in the 50-overs format. Going back to 1992, everytime India and Pakistan have done battle at the ODI World Cup, only one team has emerged victorious, and they have all been rather one-sided.
As another mouth-watering contest awaits the mother of all battles, Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has made a rather interesting statement on facing India at the World Cup. The emotions that are involved in an India-Pakistan match needs no introduction, but as per Shadab, defeating India isn't his only priority. In fact, the all-rounder reckons that even if Pakistan lose to India but end up winning the World Cup, it would mean a lot more to him than just winning another India-Pakistan tie.
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"Playing against India comes with a different sense of joy. The pressure overall is also different. Now when we have to go there, it will be their home ground - the crowd will be against us. However, we are going there to play in the World Cup, so we should think about it, and not only about India, because if we win against India and lose the World Cup, then there's no benefit of it. In my opinion, even if we lose from India but end up winning the World Cup, it's a win-win because that is our main aim," Shadab told Cricket Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}"Playing against India comes with a different sense of joy. The pressure overall is also different. Now when we have to go there, it will be their home ground - the crowd will be against us. However, we are going there to play in the World Cup, so we should think about it, and not only about India, because if we win against India and lose the World Cup, then there's no benefit of it. In my opinion, even if we lose from India but end up winning the World Cup, it's a win-win because that is our main aim," Shadab told Cricket Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}Shadab was part of the previous India-Pakistan World Cup match at Manchester during the 2019 edition in England, where riding on Rohit Sharma's incredible 140 and half-centuries from Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, India posted 336/7 and defended the total with unimaginable ease by restricting Pakistan to 212/6 after the target was revised to 302 from 40 overs after a rain break. He is currently playing to Sussex in the Vitality Blast where he's peeled off two match-winning half-centuries – 59 against Middlesex and an unbeaten 87 against Glamorgan.