Hyderabad:

 After securing a victory in their campaign opener against Bangladesh, India will take on their arch-rivals Pakistan in their second game of the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai Cricket Stadium here on Sunday, February 21. The Rohit Sharma-led side will aim to win the game against Pakistan and secure a place in the semi-final of the marquee event.

Pakistan have lost the opening match against New Zealand, who beat them for the third consecutive time in a couple of weeks period. New Zealand emerged triumphant in their first game by 60 runs and are currently at the top of the points table.

The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry is one of the fiercest and most celebrated in the game’s history. Speaking at JioHotstar’s Greatest Rivalry Returns show, Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi shared their thoughts on the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan clash on February 23 in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.

Afridi also emphasised the point that India's strength lies in their middle and lower order who have been winning matches for them as the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli still searching for form.

Speaking at Shahid Afridi on India having more match-winners said, "If we talk about match-winners, I'd say that India has more match-winners compared to Pakistan. A match-winner is someone who knows how to win the game single-handedly. Right now, we don’t have such players in Pakistan."

"India's strength lies in its middle and lower order, which has been winning them matches. For a long time, we have been giving opportunities to players, but no one has stepped up consistently. Some have performed in a few games, but we don’t have players who have sustained their performance for a year, two years, or across 50-60 matches. That’s where we are a little weaker compared to India, which is very strong in this area. But the key to winning against India is collective performance—whether it's the batsmen, bowlers, or spinners—everyone’s contribution is crucial," Afridi added.

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Champions Trophy history against Afghanistan on Friday.