Former India batter Gautam Gambhir had a special message for fans ahead of the high-octane clash against Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Indian fans gathered outside the stadium in huge numbers, while not many Pakistan cricket team aficionados were present. Speaking on Star Sports after the toss, Gambhir urged fans to support their team but not disrespect the Pakistan team, as they are in India to take part in the World Cup. He emphasized the importance of remembering that they are visitors and guests in the country for the tournament.
The Narendra Modi Stadium was filled with Indian supporters, as Pakistan fans from across the border were unable to secure visas for the match. India’s captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl first against Pakistan in this highly anticipated World Cup match, with an expected attendance of 120,000 fans.
Opening batsman Shubman Gill returns to the Indian team after recovering from dengue fever and replaces Ishan Kishan, who missed the first two matches. India, considered favorites, come into the match unbeaten, with victories over five-time winners Australia and Afghanistan.
Pakistan, who also won their two matches against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, have maintained an unchanged lineup from their previous win.
The teams for the match are as follows:
India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf
(With AFP Inputs)