‘He can probably win the match alone’: Former Indian cricket team player issues a strong caution to Rohit Sharma and his teammates versus Pakistan match.

(AP Photo)

Kaif pointed out that while Pakistan’s batting lineup may be a potential vulnerability, he also highlighted a particular batsman who has the capability to single-handedly turn the game in Pakistan’s favor.

Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif has issued a stern caution to the Indian cricket team in the lead-up to their crucial T20 World Cup 2024 match against Pakistan. India has a strong record against Pakistan in T20 World Cups, with only one defeat in 2021 marring an otherwise dominant streak that dates back to 2007, including a victory in the final of the first-ever tournament.

During the 2022 T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli delivered an exceptional innings that secured a dramatic victory for India against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Despite the challenging circumstances, Kohli’s undefeated 82 runs were pivotal in leading India to a thrilling triumph.

India further asserted their superiority over Pakistan in limited-overs cricket last year, achieving convincing victories in the 2023 Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup.

Mohammad Kaif has observed that while Pakistan’s batting might be their Achilles’ heel, players like Fakhar Zaman possess the game-changing ability to shift the momentum in Pakistan’s favor single-handedly.

“Everyone knows Pakistan’s batting is weak. Fakhar Zaman plays a little fast. If he fires, he can probably win the match alone. Iftikhar Ahmad plays fast but other than that, everyone plays at a strike rate of 120 to 125. You are not that scared of their batting but are scared of their bowling,” Kaif said during a discussion on Star Sports.

The former Indian cricketer also discussed the Pakistani pace attack, noting that they lacked the presence of Naseem Shah during the previous year’s ODI World Cup. He predicted that Naseem Shah could pose significant challenges to Indian batsmen in New York.

They will have Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. Naseem Shah didn’t come to play the World Cup in India. He was injured, but he is fit here. This will be a bouncy pitch. Naseem Shah is a very good bowler. If you talk about the Melbourne match that Virat Kohli won, if you see Naseem Shah’s first spell, he got a nick and the catch was dropped at slip,” he added.

The mouth-watering India vs Pakistan clash will be played on June 9 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York.