‘Mungerilaal ke haseen sapne’ – Fans react to former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar’s ‘Pakistan will avenge 2011’s loss against India in ODI World Cup 2023’ statement

Ahead of the prestigious ODI World Cup, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar claims that Pakistan will take revenge on India for their semifinal defeat in the 2011 World Cup. Speaking during the press conference organised by official broadcasters, Akhtar said that Pakistan will beat India to win the World Cup in Ahmedabad.

He says, “We will avenge the 2011 World Cup defeat and win the 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad. We are already visualising it”. He also said that the Pakistani team will face less pressure than India during the multilateral tournament in October and November because of the Indian media. Akhtar said that Indian media hypes the India vs. Pakistan game as the War of the Mahabharata.

“The Indian media will put an incredible amount of pressure on Pakistan; they will build it up like the Mahabharata. That is an uncalled-for amount of pressure to have ahead of the game. They will say that India will defeat Pakistan with ease, and that is where things will turn topsy-turvy. Rohit Sharma and India are going to face a lot of pressure because of that because they will already be portrayed as the winners. Pakistan will be under no pressure because the media will expect them to lose,” he said.

India will face Pakistan at Narendra Modi Stadium

Furthermore, Akhtar draws attention to the massive viewership expected when India faces Pakistan in the World Cup. He points out that India boasts stadiums with capacities exceeding 50,000 spectators, anticipating that a staggering 2 billion people will tune in to watch this high-stakes encounter.

It’s important to note that the clash between India and Pakistan in the ODI World Cup is scheduled for October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Prior to this, the two arch-rivals will meet in a Super 4 game of the Asia Cup 2023 on September 10 at the Colombo International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. India will also host the ODI World Cup from October 5 to November 19, with matches taking place across 12 venues.

Here is how fans reacted to Shoaib Akhtar’s statement: