T20 World Cup 2021: Shoaib Akhtar `chills` with Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev ahead of India-Pakistan clash, shares pics

New Delhi: Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Sunday (October 17, 2021) shared pictures of him chilling with Indian legends Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, days ahead of the much-awaited India-Pakistan clash in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. 

In the pictures shared on Twitter, former Pakistan batsman Zaheer Abbas and Indian cricketer Atul Wassan were also seen.

"Chilling with the best of the best. The great Zaheer Abbas, Sunil Gavaskar & Kapil Dev. All set for the cricket ka maha muqabla," the speedster wrote.

The arch-rivals will clash in the most-anticipated contest of the showpiece event on October 24.

Pakistan, notably, has a dismal record against India in ICC tournaments with the men in green only winning 3 out of the 17 matches, and all three victories came in Champions Trophy matches. 

This is noteworthy that the last time Pakistan beat India was in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final.

Meanwhile, skipper Virat Kohli on Saturday said that Indian team mentor Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 'eye for intricate details' and 'practical advice' will help in enhancing the confidence of the squad in the T20 World Cup. MSD was last month brought in as mentor of India's 15-member T20 World Cup squad by the BCCI, a move that surprised everyone.

"He has got massive experience. He is quite excited himself to be back in that environment. He has always been a mentor for all of us when we were starting our careers through till the time he was with the team," Kohli said during the media session.

Earlier on Saturday, former Pakistan all-rounder and bowling coach Azhar Mahmood had said that despite the 'age-old cliche of any team can win' the battle of the arch-rivals, India will have the edge in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 because their players have been playing the IPL 2021 which was played in the same venues in the UAE.

"India-Pakistan games are always special when it comes to the hype and the pressure on players and the age-old cliche of any team can win on the day does apply to the game in this T20 World Cup as well. But realistically speaking, India does have an advantage going into this game as their players have been participating in the IPL which was played in the same venues in the UAE. So apart from playing highly competitive cricket, they also will have a good understanding of the playing conditions in the UAE," Mahmood, a veteran of 143 ODIs and 21 Tests, wrote for PakPassion.

He, however, also opined that Pakistan cricketers too had played some 'intense' Twenty20 cricket in the recently concluded National T20 Cup, which had prepared them for the T20 World Cup despite New Zealand pulling out of the limited-overs series at the last minute.

(With agency inputs)