Last Updated:
Sitanshu Kotak says India is focused on cricket ahead of the Asia Cup clash with Pakistan, following BCCI and government alignment after the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.
India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak stated on Friday that the team’s focus has solely been on cricket since the BCCI aligned with the government’s decision to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, disregarding the political noise surrounding the match.
The traditional rivals will face off on Sunday, marking their first encounter since the border conflict escalated in May, when India launched strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan following an attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists.
“Once the BCCI aligned with the government’s decision, our focus was always on the match. It’s India versus Pakistan, and it will be an interesting game,” Kotak was quoted as saying during a media interaction at India’s training session at the ICC Academy ground.
“India versus Pakistan is always a competitive game,” he added.
What Are Indian Players Thinking On Facing Pakistan?
When asked if the players can remain unaffected by the geopolitical tensions following the Kashmir terror attack, Kotak responded, “Players are focused on the ground and nothing else is on their minds.”
Following the attack in Kashmir, calls for boycotting cricketing ties with Pakistan grew louder, leading India to launch ‘Operation Sindoor’ against terrorist bases in the neighbouring country.
As per a new government policy, India will not engage in any bilateral sporting contests with Pakistan but will continue to compete against them in multilateral tournaments such as the ongoing Asia Cup and ICC-organised events.
The spotlight is now firmly on the marquee Asia Cup clash.
Both teams have had contrasting preparations: India is backing the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav in the shortest format, while Pakistan has entered the tournament under scrutiny for leaving out senior players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to rejig their T20 set-up.
India Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
Pakistan Squad: Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Wasim Jr
(With inputs from PTI)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin… Read More
Read More
The post‘Once BCCI Said They’re…’: Batting Coach’s Startling Revelation Ahead Of IND Vs PAK Asia Cup Clash | Cricket News appeared first on News18