Dubai: With hours to go for a much-awaited India vs Pakistan clash at the T20 World Cup in the Middle East, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan stated that there are a lot of expectations from India’s squad in the ICC World Cup, and Virat Kohli’s team knows the level of expectations from them and can handle it very well.
Pathan recalled the time back in 2007, a year that would remain special for him. That was the year where India won the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa. Remembering that time, he said that no one expected anything from the side, but the situation is a bit different with Virat Kohli-led India.
“I think nobody expected anything from the 2007 team, but there are a lot of expectations from the current World Cup squad. The new team has expectations and experience. When we entered the 2007 T20 World Cup, we hardly had the experience of playing in the T20 format,” said Pathan to Star Sports.
Pathan played a crucial role in the 2007 World Cup, reckoned that things are different nowadays. As players get more opportunities with IPL and lots of other T20 games. He also pointed out that social media had virtually no presence back then. Whatever happens to this side, it will surely trend on social media, he pointed,
“But now, things are different, people play IPL, they play a lot of T20 games and there are a lot of conversations around T20 format. In 2007, there were no social media, but now there are social media, so there are a lot of conversations around performances and memes. I think the boys know that there are a lot of expectations from them and they know how to handle it,” added Pathan, who was the player of the match in the final against Pakistan in 2007.
Asked about who could be the X-factors for the Indian team in the T20 World Cup, Pathan said, “I think Jasprit Bumrah and his opposite end. I think the two bowlers who will bowl in the last overs are crucial.”
India will take on Pakistan in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super 12 encounter on October 24 in Dubai. They will then meet New Zealand, Afghanistan, and two other teams who will qualify from Round 1 in the Super 12 stage.
