T20 World Cup 2021 | We will consider match against India like any other game, says Mohammad Rizwan

India-Pakistan rivalry is one of the fiercest in any sport. The matches between India and Pakistan get a lot of hype. Especially in ICC events, it is one of the most-watched fixtures. India have never lost against Pakistan in T20 World Cups and ODI World Cups. The only one win for Pakistan against India was in 2017 Champions Trophy final. Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan has recently stated that the hype surrounding the fixture against India is created by social media and his team will treat the match as a contest against any other opposition. 

“This India-Pakistan match, we will consider it like any other game. The hype is being created by the social media and fans which is fine but in our hearts and minds, we will consider this game the same as one against any other side. Because, if we as players take on the additional pressure of this game, then that won’t be good as it has happened before,” Rizwan remarked in a press conference.

The T20 World Cup 2021 is scheduled to begin on October 17 in the UAE and Oman. Pakistan will play India at the Dubai International Stadium on October 24. Pakistan have been playing their home series in UAE for the last few years. Expressing his opinion on whether playing in UAE will be home advantage for Pakistan, Rizwan said that he does not believe that any team has any special advantage.

"I have never been a believer in the fact that any one side, including Pakistan, has any special advantage in UAE or anywhere else. All we can say is that the tournament is being held in Asia as I consider UAE to be in Asia.Yes, we have been playing there for a while and we used to say that UAE is our home ground but I never accepted that because the pitches there, from what I understood, were made with soil from Australia or from other parts of the world. So, even if UAE was called our home ground, that was not the case,” he concluded.