‘Will play like a normal match’ – Sahibzada Farhan downplays India-Pakistan high-voltage clash

Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has downplayed the hype surrounding the upcoming India-Pakistan clash in the T20 World Cup, insisting that the game is “not such a big deal.” Farhan’s comments came after his 73-run knock helped Pakistan secure a second consecutive victory over the USA in Colombo, keeping them at the top of their group.

“See, when you win two matches and are at the top of the table, you feel confident. The upcoming match is not such a big deal, we’re not playing against them for the first time. We’ve played before and this time we’ll play with a different mindset. You’ve seen us in the shake-up. You must have seen our struggle in the middle. You must have seen that Shadaab is making run, Nawaz is scoring runs. So hopefully you will enjoy our game against them,” Farhan said after their win against the USA on Tuesday in Colombo.

The India-Pakistan fixture, scheduled for February 15, had been under some uncertainty but is now confirmed to proceed as planned. Historically, Pakistan has struggled in ICC matches against India, having secured just one victory in such tournaments, which came during the 2021 T20 World Cup. Despite this record, Farhan believes that Pakistan’s form in the tournament so far gives them confidence heading into the high-profile encounter.

Asia Cup matches weren’t one-sided: Farhan

Reflecting on Pakistan’s performance in the last Asia Cup, Farhan dismissed suggestions that matches between the two sides have become one-sided.

“No, I think the way we played in the last Asia Cup, we didn’t play one-sided. We played and fought till the end. We didn’t play a one-sided match till then end and hopefully this time against we’ll play a wonderful game,” he said.

Farhan also highlighted his own recent form as a source of confidence. During the Asia Cup, he had a solid outing against India and proved capable of standing up to top bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah. With back-to-back strong performances in the World Cup, he feels ready to approach Sunday’s game with composure.

“I think when you make runs you are confident. I am also very confident and the way the last two innings have gone, I’m very confident. It’s a normal match. We’ll play like a normal match. We won’t put it in our head that this is an India – Pakistan match, it is a normal match and we will play it like a normal match,” Farhan said.