Hardik Pandya opens up about Pakistan ahead of Asia Cup clash

All-rounder, Hardik Pandya, opened up about India’s Asia Cup clash against Pakistan on Saturday in Kandy.

While speaking with Star Sports, Pandya acknowledged the immense emotional significance the match between India and Pakistan holds for fans on both sides. He emphasized that, from a player's perspective, the focus is on facing a formidable opponent that has demonstrated impressive performance in recent times.

“A lot of emotions are attached by fans. For us, it is about playing a good team, playing a match against a very good side who has done very well in the recent past. Couple of finals they’ve played and the tension between us is always there. So, for me, we try to keep the outside noise outside, and we focus on how we can play good cricket,” Pandya said.

The cricketer shared his approach of maintaining composure and not succumbing to heightened emotions.

“At the end of the day, we are cricketers. We can’t get too emotional about it because then certain decisions can be reckless, which I don’t believe in. But, at the same point of time, it’s a mega event. It’s an event which I’ve seen how it checks your character, checks your personality, and at the same point in time, you can see in how deep waters you can swim. So for me, all these factors excite me a lot and yeah, I can’t wait,” he added.