Gautam Gambhir
Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir had an important message for fans ahead of the high-octane clash between India and Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. As fans gathered in large numbers outside the stadium, it was evident that the majority of the crowd was composed of Indian supporters, with fewer Pakistani cricket fans present. Speaking on Star Sports after the toss, Gambhir emphasized the need for fans to show respect to the Pakistan team, as they are in India to participate in the World Cup. He urged the Indian crowd to support their team but not to mistreat the visitors, reminding them that the Pakistan team is here as guests to compete in the World Cup.
The Narendra Modi Stadium was dominated by a sea of blue due to the overwhelming Indian presence, as many Pakistani fans were unable to secure visas for the match.
In the match, India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, won the toss and chose to bowl first in this much-anticipated World Cup showdown, expected to draw a crowd of 120,000 fans. Opening batsman Shubman Gill returned to the Indian team, taking the place of Ishan Kishan, who had been sidelined due to dengue fever and missed the first two matches.
India, considered the favorites, entered the match unbeaten with victories over five-time champions Australia and Afghanistan. Pakistan, who also won their first two matches against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, retained the same playing XI from their previous win.
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Pakistan Playing XI: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.
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