India coach Gambhir says focused on winning Champions Trophy...
India’s cricket coach Gautam Gambhir is determined to lead his team to victory in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy tournament, with a focus on winning the championship rather than just the match against arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai.
India and Pakistan are gearing up to face each other in the highly anticipated Champions Trophy encounter in Dubai on Feb. 23. The eight-nation tournament is all set to commence from Feb. 19 in Karachi, where hosts Pakistan will take on New Zealand.
The cricket matches between these two Asian giants always attract millions of fans worldwide. The last time the teams met in Dubai was in 2021, with Pakistan defeating India by 10 wickets, marking their first victory over the arch-rivals in a World Cup contest.
Strategic Outlook
Speaking at the annual BCCI awards night in Mumbai, Gambhir emphasized, “We don’t approach the Champions Trophy with just one game in mind. Every match in the tournament holds significance, and our goal is to secure victory in all five games." He further added, “Our mission in Dubai is to clinch the championship, not just the game against Pakistan."
While the matches are scheduled to take place in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi, India will be playing all their matches in Dubai due to existing political tensions with Pakistan.
Gambhir acknowledged the importance of the game against Pakistan and stated, “If facing Pakistan falls in the midst of our journey towards winning the Champions Trophy, we will approach it with utmost seriousness."
Tournament Format
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and New Zealand are placed in Group A of the tournament, with only two teams advancing to the knockout stages.
Pakistan, the defending champions, secured victory in the last edition of the 50-over tournament in 2017 by defeating India in the final by a substantial margin of 180 runs.
On another note, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) recently arrested 10 individuals deported from Saudi Arabia for allegedly engaging in begging activities despite holding Umrah visas.
The apprehension of such beggars has raised concerns in Pakistan, as it could negatively impact genuine visa-seekers and especially religious pilgrims visiting Saudi Arabia.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has been vocal about cracking down on such activities, emphasizing the need to prevent misuse of visas for begging purposes.
