Pakistan’s opening batter Sahibzada Farhan (proper), together with accomplice Saim Ayub, pictured through the ACC Males’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 match towards India on the Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium in Dubai on September 21, 2025. — ACC
Pakistan warmed up for his or her blockbuster T20 World Cup conflict towards India with a 32-run win towards the USA on Tuesday, then declared they had been “confident” of taking down their bitter rivals.
The Group A win was a lift for Pakistan earlier than Sunday’s high-octane conflict with the defending champions in Colombo, now again on after the Islamabad authorities referred to as off a boycott 24 hours beforehand.
Opener Sahibzada Farhan, who high scored with 73 within the USA win, mentioned: “The match is on and we are in a confident mood.”
Pakistan have a dismal file towards India in ICC tournaments, profitable solely as soon as in eight encounters in T20 World Cups, and have misplaced all eight instances that the edges have met within the 50-over World Cup.
In final yr’s T20 Asia Cup, India beat Pakistan 3 times on their option to lifting the trophy in Dubai.
Spinner Tariq Usman, who took 3 for 27 towards the US, mentioned these stats didn’t hassle him.
“We used to beat India in the 1990s and before so don’t count the recent record or only the ICC event record, we used to win against them frequently,” mentioned Tariq.
Farhan promised: “This time it will be different and we will give a strong performance.
“We misplaced all three matches, together with the ultimate to India within the Asia Cup however they weren’t one-sided.”
Farhan said two wins out of two in the World Cup, the first was against the Netherlands on Saturday, had kick-started Pakistan’s campaign.
Pakistan came into the tournament having beaten Australia 3-0 in a home T20 series, and Farhan said the mood around the camp was very positive.
“Wins at all times provide you with confidence, and we are going to take this confidence into Sunday’s recreation, and we guarantee you we might be a greater facet come Sunday,” mentioned Farhan.
India will face a second Group A match towards Namibia on Thursday in New Delhi earlier than flying to Sri Lanka.
It means a fast turnaround for Sunday’s match, the largest and most profitable conflict in world cricket.
