Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has played down the hype around a potential India-Pakistan clash at the 2027 ODI World Cup, insisting that the team’s focus should be on winning the tournament rather than one particular fixture.
Speaking to Star Sports after India’s emphatic eight-wicket win over the West Indies in the second ODI in Guwahati, Gambhir said Pakistan should be treated like any other opponent India will face in South Africa. His comments came on the eve of the ICC’s schedule announcement for the 2027 World Cup, which will take place on October 1 in Cape Town.
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The tournament will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, with 14 teams set to compete in the expanded edition.
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PAKISTAN NOT THE BIGGER PICTURE
The India-Pakistan fixture is expected to attract huge attention whenever the schedule is revealed, but Gambhir insisted that it cannot become the defining feature of India’s World Cup campaign.
“I have no preference. I think our job isn’t just to play against Pakistan; our job is to go there, compete, and try to win the World Cup,” Gambhir told Star Sports.
“I’ve said this before: Pakistan is just another team we have to play. Ultimately, when you go to South Africa, the goal is to perform well and win the tournament, rather than focusing solely on beating Pakistan.”
The rivalry has traditionally been one of the biggest attractions in international cricket, with matches between the two sides drawing enormous interest from fans and broadcasters. Gambhir acknowledged that the public conversation around the fixture would be difficult to avoid, but said the Indian dressing room would take a different approach.
“I know broadcasters, emotions, and the public will keep talking about it, but in the dressing room, we try to keep things as simple and calm as possible,” he said.
For Gambhir, the bigger challenge is making sure India arrive at the World Cup with a squad capable of handling the pressure across an entire tournament rather than preparing specifically for one opponent.
LIMITED TIME TO FINALISE SQUAD
That urgency was another major theme of Gambhir’s interaction after the Guwahati victory. With the World Cup now approaching, the India coach believes the team has a limited window to test players and settle on its preferred combination.
Gambhir said India could have only around 20 ODIs left before the World Cup, making every opportunity to assess players important. He pointed to Aaqib Nabi’s inclusion against West Indies as an example of the approach India wants to take, with opportunities being handed to players while there is still time to assess their suitability.
The coach also stressed that experimentation cannot be restricted to matches where the result no longer matters.
“It wasn’t a dead rubber, and we also want to put players under pressure,” Gambhir said. “A dead rubber doesn’t carry the same pressure as a match where the series is on the line.”
That philosophy was particularly evident in his comments about young pacer Gurnoor Brar. Gambhir said India need to expose him to the difficult phases of an innings, including the opening 10 overs and the death overs, rather than simply protecting his statistics by using him during the middle overs.
PRESSURE BEFORE THE WORLD CUP
Gambhir’s approach is based on exposing India’s potential options to pressure before they reach the World Cup. He argued that players need to experience difficult situations in bilateral cricket if they are expected to handle them when the stakes are much higher.
“The more he bowls in tough conditions and high-pressure situations, the better it is for Indian cricket,” Gambhir said of Gurnoor. “You could easily have him bowl defensive spells in the middle overs and get good figures, but exposing him to those critical moments is what truly benefits Indian cricket.”
The 2027 World Cup will be the first men’s edition to feature 14 teams and a new three-stage format before the semi-finals and final. It will also mark the tournament’s return to Africa after 24 years.
India will enter the tournament with unfinished business after their defeat to Australia in the 2023 final in Ahmedabad. The 2027 edition could also carry added significance for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, with the veteran batters potentially featuring in their final World Cup campaign.
But with the schedule announcement now imminent, Gambhir’s message is clear. The India-Pakistan clash may dominate the headlines when it is confirmed, but inside the Indian camp, the objective will remain considerably broader: build the right squad, prepare players for pressure and arrive in South Africa ready to compete for the World Cup.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
