Dubai, Feb 23 The Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Arun Dhumal backed the Rohit Sharma-led side to come out strong against Pakistan in their much-anticipated Champions Trophy clash in Dubai on Sunday. As cricket fans across the globe wait for the blockbuster encounter to begin, Dhumal, who is in Dubai to witness the mega battle, said the atmosphere is very electric in the city.
"Excitement here in Dubai is 'jabardast'. This is one of the most watched games across the cricketing world. For both the teams it is an important match. The way Indian team is playing, I believe it will be a really good game, and our team will win," Dhumal told IANS from Dubai.
India started their campaign with a comfortable six-wicket win over Bangladesh on Wednesday. On the other hand, hosts Pakistan suffered a 60-run loss against New Zealand in the tournament opener in Karachi earlier this week.
It will be a must-win encounter for defending champions Pakistan to stay in the hunt for the semi-final from Group A, while a win for India will almost secure a last-four berth in the eight-team spectacle.
In their last ODI meet in the 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad, India registered an emphatic seven-wicket win as captain Rohit and Shreyas Iyer scored half-centuries to keep their unbeaten record intact in the tournament.
However, India faced a setback in their last clash against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy as they lost the 2017 summit match at The Oval to miss out on their second silverware in the tournament.
Meanwhile, India have a psychological edge of staying unbeaten against Pakistan in the last six ODIs (including the 2023 Asia Cup group stage washout) since 2018.
The two sides last played against each other in the 2024 T20 World Cup group stage match in New York. Men in Blue dominated the encounter and won by six runs as Jasprit Bumrah returned with the figures of 3-14 to bag the Player of the Match accolade. India went on to win the title, beating South Africa in the final to lift their second T20 World Cup trophy after 2007.
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