Indian cricket team will start their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan. The electrifying encounter is scheduled to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on October 23. The two teams had faced each other in the T20 World Cup 2021 and the Indian team had to suffer a humiliating 10-wicket defeat in that game.
Many former cricketers and experts have already started making predictions about the upcoming high-voltage clash. Now, former cricketer Harbhajan Singh has also opened up about the upcoming India-Pakistan encounter. However, the former Indian spinner refrained from making a prediction as he still remembers Indian team’s performance against Pakistan in the last T20 World Cup championship.
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“We have another T20 World Cup, and this year, I won’t be giving any statement and won’t talk over who will win [between Pakistan and India]. Mauka Mauka or whatever, we will see what is going to happen as last time around, things went bad due to this,” Harbhajan said, as per CricTracker. The Punjab-born former cricketer was having a conversation with former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar. Akhtar also suggested Harbhajan not make any predictions about the match.
Ahead of last year’s India-Pakistan meeting, Harbhajan had said that it was meaningless for the Babar Azam-led side to play against the Indian team. He had also opined that Pakistan should give India a “walkover.”
“I told Shoaib Akhtar that there’s no sense in Pakistan participating; you should give us a walkover. You’ll play, you’ll lose again, and you’ll be upset. Our squad is extremely solid, very powerful, and they will easily beat you guys,” Harbhajan had said before the India and Pakistan clash in 202, according to CricTracker.
In the match, batting first, Virat Kohli-led side somehow managed to reach a respectable total of 151 runs losing seven wickets in 20 overs. Skipper Kohli (57 off 49 balls) emerged as his side’s highest run-scorer. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant (39 runs off 30 balls) also contributed significantly. Pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi produced a stellar show as he had picked up three wickets. Later, he was announced Man of the Match as well.
Pakistan during their run chase did not lose a single wicket and reached the target with 13 balls remaining to script a remarkable 10-wicket triumph.
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