Ahead of India’s crucial Group A clash against Pakistan scheduled on Sunday, September 14, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, cricket legend Kapil Dev has advised the Indian team to stay focused and do their job. This advice came at a time when boycott calls are gaining momentum.
The 1983 World Cup-winning skipper sent a message to the squad to stay focused on doing their job. “Keep your eyes on the game, not the noise,” said Kapil Dev. People are questioning India’s decision to play alongside Pakistan after the country faced a terrorist attack a few months ago in Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead.
Team must focus on the win
As the Group A fixture draws closer, calls continue to grow in India for the BCCI to pull the plug on the contest, keeping national sentiments in mind. However, recently, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia stated that the match would go on as the board is just following the order issued by the Sports Ministry, which granted permission for playing against Pakistan in multilateral events.
Kapil Dev also urged fans and commentators not to go overboard and said policy decisions should be left to the government, while players must focus only on the game. “The Indian players should stay focused solely on the game. They have a good team and must win,” Kapil said during a media interaction.
India could potentially face Pakistan three times in the Asia Cup
If both India and Pakistan qualify from Group A, there would be three chances of a faceoff — first on Sunday, September 14, then in the Super 4s on Sunday, September 21, and if both teams secure top positions, a final showdown could happen between the two arch rivals.
A PIL filed in the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of the India-Pakistan Asia Cup match was not heard on Thursday. Justice JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi observed that proceeding with the match wouldn’t cause any harm.