Fantasy Cricket

“We Are Relaxed, No Extra Pressure Against India”: Haris Rauf Ahead of High-Stakes Match in Champions Trophy 2025

Prepend to the Content

Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf has played down the hype surrounding the much-anticipated Champions Trophy clash against India, saying his team is treating it like any other game. Pakistan, the defending champions, suffered a heavy 60-run defeat to New Zealand in their opening match in Karachi, making their next encounter a must-win.

Despite the early setback, Rauf insisted that Pakistan is not under any additional pressure ahead of the big clash. He stated that the team is focusing on correcting mistakes from their previous game and approaching the India match with a positive mindset.

“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,” Rauf said ahead of Pakistan’s training session in Dubai.

He further added that the team has moved past the loss to New Zealand and is determined to make a strong comeback.

“That match (New Zealand) 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,” he added.

Can Past Records Help Pakistan?

Despite the setback in their opening match, Pakistan will take confidence from their previous victories against India. The last time these two teams met in the Champions Trophy, Pakistan won by a massive 180 runs in the 2017 final. Additionally, they have defeated India in Dubai in two T20I matches. However, in the 50-over format, India has an edge, having won both ODIs played in Dubai in 2018.

Haris Rauf acknowledged the importance of past results but emphasized the need to perform well in the current match.

“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. 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 said.

Pakistan Faces a Tough Challenge

Pakistan has often delivered strong performances under pressure, as seen in their 2017 Champions Trophy campaign. However, this time, they will be without their explosive opener Fakhar Zaman, who missed the trip to Dubai due to an injury sustained against New Zealand.

India, on the other hand, enters this match with momentum after securing a comfortable six-wicket victory over Bangladesh. The team is well-acquainted with the conditions in Dubai, which could work in their favor.

Story First Published at www.probatsman.com on 21 February 2025

More Stories

Read Original Content: “We Are Relaxed, No Extra Pressure Against India”: Haris Rauf Ahead of High-Stakes Match in Champions Trophy 2025

ProBatsman

You Might Like
Leave a Reply