'Ready to have a battle with Shoaib Akhtar' - Virender Sehwag reignites India vs Pakistan rivalry ahead of ODI World Cup 2023

The much-awaited schedule of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 was announced on Tuesday, June 27 as the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and ICC (International Cricket Council) unveiled the fixtures in Mumbai during an event. The eyes of the fans are once again on the most awaited encounter of the tournament i.e. the India vs Pakistan game to be played on October 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Notably, India have a phenomenal record against their arch-rivals as they’ve beaten them on all the seven occasions the two teams have met. Further igniting the rivalry ahead of the high voltage clash, former India cricketer Virender Sehwag has said that India handles the pressure of the big games better than Pakistan and hence has an exceptional record.

"I feel that now India handles pressure that is why they win whereas Pakistan have a burden that they haven't won against India. In the 1990s, they were good at dealing with pressure but after 2000, India soak it better. If any player says that they don't feel pressure, I don't think it's right. We used to say it too but at the end of the day, we know it's an India vs Pakistan game and emotions run high," Sehwag said during the launch event of the schedule aired on Star Sports.

I am ready to have a battle with Shoaib Akhtar: Virender Sehwag

The former India opener further said that he will get into a battle on social media during the game with former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar

“Everybody knows that all the focus is going to be on the India vs Pakistan match. I am ready to have a battle with Shoaib Akhtar during that game... on social media,” he added.

Notably, India had an unbeaten record against Pakistan in all world cups (both T20I and ODI) till 2020. However, the streak came to an end during the 2021 T20 World Cup as the Babar Azam-led side humbled India by ten wickets in Dubai.