India don't need to peak, they can play normally and still beat Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2021: Aaqib Javed

The countdown for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 has begun with millions of fans across the globe waiting for arch-rivals India and Pakistan to lock horns in the showpiece event. India will take on Pakistan in their opening game of the tournament in Dubai on October 24.

The stakes are high whenever the two teams clash against each other and it will be no different this time around as well. The arch-rivals share one of the greatest rivalries in the history of cricket but have been meeting in only major ICC competitions since 2013 due to political tensions between the two nations.

Ahead of the much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan at the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021, former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed shared his views onthe match-up between the two teams. Javed believes India can beat Pakistan even if they play normal cricket as they have superstars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma among others in their ranks.

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Javed, who played 22 Tests and 163 ODIs for his country, reckoned that Pakistan, on the other hand, will have to play better than their best cricket to come out on top of India in the blockbuster encounter.

“For India, they don’t need to peak. They can just play normally, to their strengths and still beat Pakistan. But if Pakistan are to win, they have to play better than their best cricket that day. So at the moment, they appear the favourites," former Pakistan pacer JavedSana Ajmal on her YouTube channel.

"India have Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul so many match-winners. Jasprit Bumrah is such a terrific bowler. If you look at their overall team, they look favourites to win the World Cup,” he added.

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However, the former Pakistan pacer believes Pakistan can get the result of the contest in their favour if they make some changes in their squad. Javed said he would want the team management to include opening batsman Fakhar Zaman in the playing XI, owing to his great record against India. He also backed the likes of Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez and Mohammad Rizwan to perform in the high-octane clash.

"Although India are favourites to beat Pakistan, things can turn out slightly different on that day. If Pakistan are to win, they need to make a few changes to their squad. For example, Fakhar Zaman should definitely be brought in because some players always perform well against certain teams," said Javed.

"For Pakistan, the T20 World Cup is one thing and playing India is another altogether. Fakhar played an aggressive innings at the Champions Trophy. If he is included and he fires, Babar Rizwan scores some runs, Babar gets going, or even someone like Hafeez makes a mark, these four batsmen can score against quality bowling in pressure situations," he added.

India have never lost against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup and will look to maintain their perfect streak when they take on Babar Azam & Co. in their T20 World Cup opener in Dubai on October 24.