Former Indian cricketer hopes for Pakistan to win against India in Champions Trophy clash

Former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan has expressed his desire for the hosts and defending champions, Pakistan, to win their upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 clash against India on Sunday in Dubai. Wassan believes such a result would make the tournament more exciting and competitive.

In a recent interview, Wassan explained that a Pakistan victory would add much-needed thrill to the competition. 

"I want Pakistan to win because it will make the tournament more interesting. If you don’t let Pakistan win, what’s the point? If they play well and win, it becomes a real contest," he said.

Wassan drew an analogy to emphasize his point: "It’s like Amitabh Bachchan in movies—if he keeps defeating his enemies effortlessly, there’s no thrill in watching. I hope Pakistan makes a comeback; it will be good for the tournament," Wassan added. 

Reflecting on the India-Pakistan rivalry, Wassan noted that it has become one-sided in recent years. 

"Until Pakistan improves its cricket, there’s no excitement in watching India vs Pakistan games," he said. 

He pointed out that during the 1990s, Pakistan had several great players like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Saeed Anwar, making their encounters much more competitive.

“Whatever happened in Pakistan affected their cricket, and they suffered because of it. Meanwhile, India has only grown stronger. Since the 2000s, we have dominated them," Wassan added.

India and Pakistan have faced each other five times in the Champions Trophy, with Pakistan winning three encounters and India winning two. The last meeting in the tournament took place in the 2017 final, where Pakistan, led by Sarfaraz Ahmed, secured a historic 180-run victory to win their first-ever Champions Trophy title.

Overall, the two teams have met 135 times in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), with India winning 57 matches, Pakistan claiming 73 victories, and five matches ending in no result.