T20 World Cup 2024: Will Gary Kirsten be able to help Pakistan make it 5-2 against his former side?

Gary Kirsten (Pic: File Pic)

Ahead of the India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 match, the "Green Shirts" white-ball coach Gary Kirsten has a challenge ahead of him. He will look to keep Pakistan's T20 World Cup 2024 campaign alive, but it is only possible if he manages to beat his former coaching side.

One of the biggest rivalries in cricket, India vs Pakistan is set to take place for the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

But this time, the rivalry between the two juggernauts will have a different touch to it. The emotional aspect of the fans is ever-present during the entirety of the game.

But this time, a familiar face for the Indian team will be present in the Pakistan dugout, Gary Kirsten. He is the first person to coach both teams, India and Pakistan. Under him, the "Men in Blue" ended their 28-year drought and won the ODI World Cup in 2011.

But this time the equation for Kirsten will be different. To save Pakistan from falling into turmoil, Kirsten would need to get his tactical play right and help the "Men in Green" get past their bitter rival.

Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024, IND vs PAK: The clash beyond the borders!

"It's great to be part of. I certainly see it as a massive privilege to be part of these games. I've had, I think, two of them. So, it's great to be involved in this. Cricket doesn't get bigger than this. So, it's fun to be a part of. I think it's going to be a great occasion tomorrow. The first kind of India-Pakistan game in America," Kirsten said during a pre-match press conference.

History has always been used to evaluate which side will be the on-paper favourites. Just like other instances, it is favouring India.

India tapped into their rich form just at the right time. While Pakistan's decision to play more cricket before the World Cup seems to have backfired.

Pakistan arrived in the T20 World Cup 2024 after losing the T20I series against England by 2-0. Later in their T20 World Cup 2024 opening match, the Babar Azam-led side faced a humiliating loss against the debutants USA.

So far in the T20 World Cups, Team India has the upper hand over Pakistan with six wins. The first time Pakistan defeated India was during the T20 World Cup 2021 when Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan played unbeaten knocks to help the team win.

While India managed to bag five wickets, one game ended in a draw but they managed to pip Pakistan by bowl-out.

Yet Kirsten isn't looking to pick up the old books. He wants his team to stay motivated and play to the best of their capabilities.

"Yeah, I don't like to harp on history too much. We need to make sure we play the best cricket we can now. So tomorrow we're going to go out there and make sure we do the best that we can with our skill sets and how we can put pressure on the opposition. I mean that's what we would want to do every game," he said.

"That's certainly how we would plan for every game. So, it's really up to us to get ourselves up for the game. It's a big game, India-Pakistan, we know there's no need for me to motivate the team anymore. They're well motivated, they're focused on this game. We've had to forget about the last couple of days and just move forward. That's the only way you can deal with life. Results are results, they take care of themselves. But the way we arrive at a match and pitch up and give it our best shot and make sure that our skills are up to where they need to be, that's all we can control," he added.

India T20 World Cup 2024 squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 squad: Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.

(With ANI Inputs)