"India has more match-winners, its strength lies in middle and lower-order"

Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi feels that India is a much stronger side and they have more matchwinners compared to that of India He feels that the best way to nullify the advantage is to put in a collective effortThe Green Shirts are in a mustwin situation when they will take on India in their next Champions Trophy 2025 encounterTeam India on the other hand will enter the clash after securing a stunning victory over Bangladesh in their Champions Trophy 2025 openerIf we talk about matchwinners Id say that India has more matchwinners compared to Pakistan A matchwinner is someone who knows how to win the game singlehandedly Right now we dont have such players in Pakistan former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi said on JioHotstars Greatest Rivalry Returns episodeShahid Afridi said that Indias middle and lowerorder had played crucial roles in their win whereas the same could not be said for PakistanIndias 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 consistentlySome have performed in a few games but we dont have players who have sustained their performance for a year two years or across 5060 matches Thats where we are a little weaker compared to India which is very strong in this areaAlso ReadIN PHOTOS MCA officials former cricketers attend late Milind Reges condolence meetingAfridi said every player on Pakistans side will have to give his best in order to overcome the archrivals The key to winning against India is collective performance whether its the batsmen bowlers or spinners everyones contribution is crucialOn the other hand former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh said that Pakistan will have an advantage in the clash as they have played a lot of cricket in DubaiPakistan were forced to play their home games in the UAE following the militant attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009I actually think Pakistan has an advantage because they have a base in Dubai They have played a lot of cricket there and understand the conditions well On slower wickets Indian and Pakistani players are among the best who have always played spin well said YuvrajWhile agreeing with Afridi that India had more matchwinners Yuvraj added that adapting to the situation and not letting pressure overwhelm the cricketers would play a bigger role in the clashYou talk about matchwinners yes I agree with Shahid Afridi that we have more matchwinners But I believe that even if Pakistan has fewer matchwinners one player can still take the game awayThe IndiaPakistan clash is not about matchwinners alone its about playing in the moment adapting to the situation and not letting expectations overwhelm you The team that does this better will win the game for their country said Yuvraj SinghYuvraj stated that captain Rohit Sharmas form wasnt a big concern as he is a proven matchwinner along with Virat KohliRohit Sharma whether in form or out of form it doesnt matter to me I would always back my matchwinners In ODI cricket especially in whiteball formats he has been Indias biggest matchwinner as a batsman alongside Virat KohliIf Rohit is struggling but still gets runs thats dangerous for the opposition If hes in form he will score a century in 60 balls Thats his quality once he gets going hes not just hitting fours hes clearing the ropes with sixesHe is also one of the best players of the short ball Even if someone bowls at 145150 kmph Rohit has the ability to hook it effortlessly His strike rate is always between 120140 and on his day he can singlehandedly win you the game added YuvrajWith PTI Inputs