Bhogle sheds light on India’s dominance over Pakistan ahead of T20 WC clash

Renowned cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle has offered insights into India's consistent dominance over Pakistan in T20 cricket since 2010, just ahead of the highly anticipated T20 World Cup 2024 showdown between the arch-rivals. The match is set to take place at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Sunday.

Bhogle, speaking to Cricbuzz, stated that after having a great team in the past, Pakistan has recently struggled with self-belief when facing India. A pivotal factor in India's winning streak, he noted, has been the consistent performance of Virat Kohli.

“I think sometimes, especially people of my generation, who have seen some great Pakistan teams pulling off matches, we always tend to rate them higher than people of a younger generation. But I think they [Pakistan] went through a phase where they were in a bit of awe, they genuinely did not believe that they could win,” Bhogle said.

He emphasized that since 2010, Kohli has been a constant force for India in matches against Pakistan, and his presence on the field has often been decisive.

“If you look at all their matches from 2010 onwards, you’ll find there is one common factor every time India beats Pakistan and I think they were in awe of that player, there is always one player who’s always there when India beat Pakistan and that is Virat Kohli. I think they were in a bit of awe of Kohli,” he further added.

The historical context underscores India’s dominance in T20 World Cups, with a record of six victories out of seven encounters against Pakistan. The solitary win for Pakistan came in the 2021 T20 World Cup, where they secured a remarkable 10-wicket victory. Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam led the charge, successfully chasing a target of 152 runs without losing a wicket, achieving the feat in just 17.5 overs.

In their opening match of the current T20 World Cup, Pakistan faced a setback, losing to the United States in a thrilling Super Over. After struggling with the bat, Pakistan managed to score only 13-1 in response to the USA's 18-1, resulting in a five-run defeat.

This loss has placed Pakistan in a precarious position, making the upcoming match against India crucial for their chances of advancing to the Super Eight stage. A defeat in New York could severely jeopardize their hopes of progressing in the tournament.