From the days I played Cricket for my school to playing for the district under-17 team, one phrase kept making an appearance in discussions with seniors and coaches. It was: Cricket is unpredictable.
This phrase is the only one that can describe India setting up their mega final clash against arch-rivals Pakistan for the Champions Trophy this Sunday. They'd beaten them on June 4 at Edgbaston, Birmingham by 124 runs (Duckworth-Lewis method).
A final between India and Pakistan in this ICC tournament, often called the mini-World Cup is a dream come true for fans and maybe even the bookies. It will be played at The Oval in London.
What makes this final big
After a gap of 10 years, the arch-rivals will face each other in a summit clash. Last time it happened was at the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in 2007, where India became the first ever World T20 winner as they beat Pakistan by five runs at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. And, the hype around this game is also magnified by a paucity of matches between the two teams in the past 10 years, a result of political and other reasons.
The journey to the finals
India: It came as no surprise for Virat Kohli & Co as they were tournament favourites and defending champions too. As the 'Men in Blue' marched their way into the final of ICC Champions Trophy 2017 after beating Bangladesh by 9 wickets in the second semi-final they only came one step closer to fulfilling expectations. Virat Kohli & Co they have had a pretty successful tournament with three wins and a loss that came against Sri Lanka in the group stage match at the Oval, where Lanka beat Team India by 7 wickets. Virat Kohli’s men were placed in Group B alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.
Pakistan: The Sarfraz Ahmed-led Pakistan team has had a remarkable run in the tournament so far. They came as underdogs and lost their first match against their arch-rivals India in the group stage at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Since then, they have defeated South Africa and Sri Lanka before knocking out hosts and favourites England in the first semi-final at Cardiff Wales Stadium by 8 wickets.
A big game to look forward to?
The summit clash between these two arch-rivals for a big tournament like ICC Champions Trophy is going to be huge for millions of Cricket crazy fans across the World. On a purely sporting level, this is a meeting of incredibly contrasting teams. Team Pakistan under Sarfraz Ahmed has been energised by a transfusion of fresh energy after the collapse against the same opponents at Edgbaston, Birmingham on June 4, whereas, Team India under the leadership of Delhi lad Virat Kohli has so far looked the most well-oiled machine in the tournament.
For the large number of Indian and Pakistani expatriates, for the folks back home in the two countries and for Cricket fans all over the world, the Champions Trophy 2017 final between India and Pakistan promises to be a thriller. May the best team win!
Twitter: @akash_raavan
Champions Trophy 2017: An India-Pakistan title clash after a decade
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