'Deep down, you want to win that. Because if you don't, you'll be reminded of it until the next time you play against Pakistan'
As anticipation builds for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, the spotlight is firmly on the perennial rivalry between India and Pakistan.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri offered his perspective on this high-stakes encounter, addressing recent comments from current coach Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir had downplayed the significance of the group stage match against Pakistan, stating that it holds no more importance than any other game in the tournament.
However, Shastri, speaking to Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review, suggested there's more to it than meets the eye.
"I was the coach for seven years. Whenever I was asked, I said the same thing (as Gambhir). But let me assure you, deep down, there's a lot more to that than you actually think, that's for the media. You have to say it. But deep down, you want to win that. Because if you don't, you'll be reminded of it until the next time you play against Pakistan," Shastri admitted.
He emphasised the intense pressure surrounding the fixture, noting, "People don't care what you have done in the past. They're not bothered about the last 10 games if you won eight or you won nine. But they'll remind you if you lose one, until the next time you play them. It can be a taxi driver, it could be anyone on the street. What happened to India? The same question to Pakistan. What happened to Pakistan? So it always plays on your mind, so whether you like it or not, it's a different game. Different beasts altogether."
India and Pakistan are slated to clash on February 23 in Dubai, a venue where Pakistan secured a dominant 10-wicket victory in a 2021 ICC T20 World Cup encounter.
Despite this history, Shastri believes it won't weigh heavily on the Indian players.
"No, that won't play on their mind because that was a T20 game. This is a 50-over clash. It's totally different. It's a longer game which suits India more, because in T20 you can get upset. In 50-over cricket, if you've got experience and you've got depth in your batting and bowling departments and you know, it makes a massive, massive difference. when you look at India and Pakistan man to man, India is a far better side and far more experienced as well," Shastri said confidently.
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