IND vs PAK: Haris Rauf taunts India, reminds Men in Blue about back-to-back losses in Dubai

by · Inside Sport India

India will take on Pakistan in the Champions Trophy on Sunday in Dubai

Perhaps the most important match of the ICC Champions Trophy will take place on Sunday. Arch rivals India will lock horns with Pakistan in Dubai. Ahead of this crucial encounter, Pakistani pacer Haris Rauf sent warning signs, taunting India. The pacer has reminded India how the Men in Green have beaten them in Dubai in back-to-back years in the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2022 Asia Cup.

Interestingly, the Pakistan Cricket Team has failed to win both tournaments. On the other hand, India went on to reach the finals in the 2023 ODI World Cup and lifted the T20 World Cup 2024 at Barbados. Meanwhile, the pressure is on Pakistan who began their campaign this time with a defeat against New Zealand.

Hoping for a good match claims Rauf

The Men in Green needs to win the crucial encounter in order to remain alive in the tournament. On the flip side, India began their campaign with a dominating win over Bangladesh. Despite taunting India, Rauf also remained cautious as to how both sides would fare under pressure.

“No doubt, it will boost our confidence. We have beaten India here in back-to-back years. We will try and repeat the good things from those games and try and beat India. I hope it’s a good match,” Haris Rauf told reporters.

“No doubt, the record is good. But it depends on the pitches. It might be a spin track. We will look at the conditions and try and use them well,” he added.

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The Men in Green can’t afford any mistakes. In order to remain alive for the semi-finals, they need to exact a win against their rivals. And then in their last game, they will need a win against Bangladesh. Meanwhile, a win over Pakistan will help India greatly boost their chance for the top 4.

“Everybody is doing well in the camp. We are focused on doing well. We will try to give our best and ensure we win the match. There is no pressure. We are very relaxed. We are all positive, we will approach the game like any other. The New Zealand match is gone. We are focused on the India game. We want to make sure that we don’t repeat the mistakes from that match here. This is a very important match for us. We want to win it to make sure we qualify for the semi-final,” Rauf concluded.