By: Tarish Bhatt
India and Pakistan are archrivals, but they also don’t play too often. It makes the India vs Pakistan affair a high-octane encounter. India captain Virat Kohli, however, has played down the hype of the encounter.
Kohli acknowledged that the game between India and Pakistan is an exciting affair for the fans, but for cricketers it is just another game. He added that the team prepare for Pakistan game just like another match.
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“India-Pakistan game is always exciting for the fans,” Kohli said. “Yes, the atmosphere is different but as cricketers, it’s just a game of cricket for us. The hype created around is not in our control.”
“We prepare the same way for every other game,” he insisted. “The atmosphere in the stadium is different but in our heads, nothing really changes whether you are playing Australia, England or South Africa.”
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The much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan will take place on June 4, and it will set the tone for both teams in the tournament. India are heading as defending champions in the tournament.
“The first challenge is to not think about that fact that we are defending the title,” Kohli said. “When we went there the last time, we just wanted to enjoy ourselves as a young unit and then we ended up winning the tournament.”
