New Delhi: Former cricketer Basit Ali believes if Pakistan defeats India in the blockbuster Champions Trophy clash, it will be an "upset."
The two old rivals in the world of cricket will add a new chapter to their story of famous encounters on Sunday in Dubai in the ongoing Champions Trophy.
Fans and former cricketers have picked India as the favourite for the high-voltage clash, citing team balance and current form as the prime reasons behind their prediction.
Basit, too, feels India stands as the hot favourites against their bitter rival, Pakistan, and backed the Rohit Sharma-led side to walk away with the bragging rights. For the former cricketer, Pakistan scripting a story of success against India would be nothing short of an upset victory.
"When I talk to people, 80 per cent of them say India will win easily, and this Pakistan team can't defeat India. Even I feel this way. It will be an upset if Pakistan beats India," Basit said on his YouTube channel.
After 29 years, a global cricket event returned to Pakistan, but New Zealand stepped up to spoil the part for the hosts and the defending champions.
With an inspired display, the Kiwis forced the Men in Green to surrender to a 60-run loss and savour the bitter taste of defeat. With a defeat in the opening clash, the encounter between the two rivals has become a do-or-die affair for Pakistan.
If the Men in Green succumb to another defeat against India and maintain their dreadful run, Pakistan will need the fortune to stay by its side, work in its favour, and keep its campaign alive.
On the other hand, India began its Champions Trophy campaign with flying colours. With a mix of caution and aggression across all spectrums of the game, India cruised to a six-wicket win over Bangladesh.
With three wins in five Champions Trophy matches, the history favours Pakistan to prevail over India. However, considering the current form of the Rohit Sharma-led side, India has the upper hand over Mohammad Rizwan's side.
India squad for Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Pakistan squad for Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi. (ANI)