T20 World Cup: Raina on India vs Pakistan – 'There will be butterflies in the stomach'

Former India cricketer Suresh Raina has said "there will be butterflies in the stomach" during the upcoming India-Pakistan match at the T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE.

India begin their Super 12s campaign in the T20 World Cup by taking on arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday (Oct. 24) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The World No. 2 and 3, India and Pakistan, have met for a total of five times so far in the tournament and every time, the result has gone in India's favour. In fact, Pakistan are yet to defeat India in a World Cup match (T20 World Cup and Cricket World Cup).

"Cricket is the same, but there will be pressure at the World Cup. And when it comes to India-Pakistan, definitely both teams will say that it's just another normal game. But it won't be normal. So there will be butterflies in the stomach. You will be under pressure. But it will depend on who handles pressure better. The team that handles the pressure better will win the match," Raina, who has been a part of many India vs Pakistan fixtures, said on Salaam Cricket.

In the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007, India and Pakistan faced off against each other twice and the games were nail-biting on both occasions. In the group game, the scores were levelled before Team India won the bowl-out. The two sides went on to meet again in the tournament and this time, it was in the grand finale in Johannesburg.

The game ended in heartbreak for Misbah-Ul-Haq and Co. as India pulled off a close five-run win to lift the trophy. However, Pakistan eventually won the title the following edition in 2009 by defeating Sri Lanka in the final at Lord's.

"The intent has to be the same. The processes are the same for T20 cricket too. But how you handle pressure matters a lot in this format," added Raina.

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star believes that the dew will play a deciding factor in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

"Dew can be a big factor in the UAE, but the spinners will get a lot of help. We have seen how the Sharjah pitch behaved. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are good pitches. But the weather is getting better. I have a feeling that if the batsman. Even in the IPL final, CSK scored 190 runs. So you have to see the ball and play it according to its merit," Raina said further.