Be it T20, ODI, or ICC or any other cricket series, the fans are always most excited about the India vs Pakistan match. Today in Dubai International Cricket Stadium India will play against Pakistan. In Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi city fans were seen performing havan and praying for team India’s victory in this match.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes Pakistan's hopes of winning the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 have suffered significantly as a result of their 60-run defeat to New Zealand in the first match.
The injury to top starter Fakhar Zaman, who has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament, has exacerbated Pakistan's problems.
Ponting discussed Pakistan's situation with host Sanjana Ganesan on the most recent episode of The ICC Review, and the former Australia captain believes it will be difficult for the Asian side to put Fakhar's loss behind them and win against India on February 23.
"It is going to be difficult for Pakistan now," Ponting added, as quoted by the ICC.
Pakistan's championship defence got off to a bad start with a 60-run loss to the Black Caps in Karachi, and things got even worse for the incumbent champions when it was confirmed that ace opener Fakhar Zaman will miss the rest of the tournament due to injury.
Cricket's most storied but recently more overhyped rivalry will present its latest installment on February 23 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium when a fiery India, aiming for a semifinal berth, plays Pakistan, struggling for survival in their first ICC tournament as hosts in 29 years. This comes eight months after India defeated Pakistan in an exciting, low-scoring group match of the T20 World Cup on a challenging pitch in New York.
