New Delhi: At Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on October 14, India and Pakistan will square off. The World Cup ODI match between the two teams will take place. Aaqib Javed, a former Pakistani bowler, believes that Pakistan will be the stronger team between the two and that there is a "great chance" that the team will defeat India on Indian soil because their "fitness and form is not up to the mark" in the upcoming match. The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan was in January 2012. Pakistan was on tour in India.
The entire five-match T20I series is played without Kohli and Rohit for the Men in Blue. India's captain Rohit attended a La Liga event where the veteran batter spoke extensively about the upcoming World Cup while India was playing the West Indies in a T20I series.
Prior to the Asia Cup and World Cup, the Indian captain acknowledged that Team India's No. 4 position is a problem.
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Rohit stressed the value of giving India's seasoned players a break in bilateral series in preparation for the World Cup during the special interaction. Rohit made a noteworthy statement in response to a question about India playing a reserve team against the West Indies to explain the absence of veteran batters (him and Kohli) from the T20I series.
"Last year also we did the same thing — the T20 World Cup was there, so we didn't play one-day cricket. Now also we are doing the same, the ODI World Cup is there, so we are not playing T20s. You can't play everything and be ready for the World Cup. We decided this two years ago. (Ravindra) Jadeja is also not playing T20, you did not ask about him? I understand about the focus (on himself and Virat). But Jadeja is also not playing," Rohit said in his reply to a query about him and Kohli being overlooked by selectors in India's recent T20I assignments.
Since the 2022 World Cup semifinal against England, run-machine Kohli and captain Rohit have not appeared in a T20 International for India. The 36-year-old also acknowledged that his team is 'desperate' for the upcoming World Cup to be the opportunity to end India's ICC trophy drought. India last claimed an ICC championship in 2013. India won the 50-over competition the last time the Asian giants hosted it in 2011.
"Honestly, I have never won a (50 overs) World Cup, it's a dream to win a World Cup and to be here fighting for it nothing makes me happier than that. "You don't get World Cups on a platter, you have to really work hard and that is what we have been doing all these years from 2011 till now we all are fighting for it," Rohit said.
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