Cricket World Cup : How Indian and Pakistani cricket fans perceive their rivalry: "Pressure builds up"

Ahead of their highly anticipated ICC Cricket World Cup match, the fans of the two arch-rivals exchange adulation, annoyances, and observations.

Mumbai, India's Manasi Pathak - India vs. Pakistan, the fiercest rivalry in the sport, was the match that Indian supporters most anticipated when the Cricket World Cup schedule was released in June.

Cricket games between those neighbors are renowned for their ferocity, and their hatred extends far beyond the playing field.

The nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors have a tense relationship and three wars since 1947, when Pakistan was established, and India was divided after gaining independence.

Since the 2008 assaults in Mumbai, India's western metropolis, when more than 160 people died and a Pakistan-based armed organization was identified as the likely mastermind over Kashmir, there has been a severe deterioration in ties between the two nations.

Due to political unrest, crossing the border for a cricket match is unusual for both sides. Since Pakistan's ODI tour of India in 2012–13, neither side has visited the other nation for a bilateral series.

The most fantastic game in recent memory will take place on Saturday at the World Cup between India and Pakistan in Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, the biggest cricket arena in the world with a capacity of more than 130,000. India is the top-ranked ODI side. Pakistan is placed second.

India and Pakistan enter the game with two wins in as many World Cup games.

Even though supporters in Pakistan have been unable to obtain travel permits, the excitement among Indians for the highly anticipated match has been unprecedented, with tickets going for as much as $300,000 on the secondary market.

Local cricket coach Mahesh Balakrishnan in Mumbai called the contest "purely temperamental."

"What comes into play with India and Pakistan is the weight of expectation," he remarked. "It's the pressure that the millions of people who support India have built up. Players must handle the pressure; the person with the most nerve will win the match.

Balakrishnan downplayed the suggestion that political rivalry was affecting cricket, though.

"The Indian and Pakistani players appear to get along well, based on what we see on television. They are pale. He claimed that only the media makes a big deal out of it and hypes it up for exposure.

Aarush Tiwari, a 12-year-old prospective cricketer, claimed he did not perceive any hatred between the players from Pakistan and India.

They behave with sportsmanship, Tiwari added. "As a cricket fan, I admire Pakistani players for their skills."

Along with captain Babar Azam and spinner Haris Rauf, Muhammad Rizwan, who scored a century in Pakistan's most recent match, is a fan favorite among Indians despite some reaction to his pro-Gaza sentiments.

Iyer, however, feels that Pakistan's current roster needs several key players added.

"You have that aura when you have elite players. He mentioned former captain Wasim Akram and legendary fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar when he remarked, "In the early 2000s, they had several players who could turn a match around.

The cricket rivals have a long history together. With 73 wins instead of 56 defeats in the ODI format, Pakistan completely dominates India, although India has an admirable record in the Cricket World Cup.

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