Are the India cricket team clear favourites to win their ICC Champions Trophy match against the Pakistan cricket team on February 23? For Suresh Raina, there is no doubt in his mind that the Men in Blue are overwhelming favourites to win the electric clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
India favourites for Pakistan match in ICC Champions Trophy
Although Pakistan beat Team India in the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, Raina reminds that Mohammad Rizwan’s team shouldn’t forget that the Men in Blue are the winners of the last ICC tournament, the T20 World Cup. Rohit Sharma and co. also beat them in the last three ICC events.
“Pakistan may have won the Champions Trophy in 2017, but they should remember that India are World Cup winners,” Raina said on the Star Sports Press Room.
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Rohit Sharma & Kohli can handle the pressure
A two-time World Cup champion himself, Raina realises that you can’t win such a match without overcoming the pressure of the situation. He thinks that Pakistan doesn’t handle the heat well, and that’s exactly why they have a 16-4 record against India in ICC events. Raina cited that Team India has stand-up batters like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have shown they can tackle Pakistan, but he’s not sure it’s true the other way around.
“Whenever India vs. Pakistan (match) happens, the pressure is on Pakistan. Every Indian player knows how to handle that pressure. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli know very well too. Virat is an astute batter; he knows how to tackle Pakistan,” Raina added.
India vs Pakistan head to head in ICC events
| Matches | Won (India) | Won (Pakistan) | Tied | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI World Cup | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| T20 World Cup | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Champions Trophy | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 21 | 16 | 4 | 1 |
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