“I want Pakistan to win” - Former India cricketer’s shocking statement ahead of IND vs PAK 2025 Champions Trophy match

Former India cricketer Atul Wassan has made a shocking statement ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy clash between India and Pakistan. The two teams will face off in the highly awaited fixture on Sunday, February 23, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

Atul Wassan expressed his desire to see Pakistan win the game between the arch-rivals on Sunday. Should Pakistan lose to India, their chances of making it to the semi-finals of the 2025 Champions Trophy will become as good as zero unless certain permutations and combinations work in their favor.

Therefore, the former Indian cricketer wants Pakistan to win against India to keep the tournament 'fun' and alive.

"I want Pakistan to win because it will be fun, tournament-wise. If you don't let Pakistan win, then what will you do? If Pakistan wins, then it becomes a contest. There should be an equal fight," he told ANI (via NDTV Sports).

Pakistan lost their opening match against New Zealand by 60 runs. Therefore, they are now in a must-win situation to keep their hopes in the 2025 Champions Trophy alive when they face India, who won their first match against Bangladesh.

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Atul Wassan lauds India's batting depth ahead of 2025 Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan

Talking about India's squad, Atul Wassan lauded the depth in the batting lineup. He also backed captain Rohit Sharma's decision to go with five spinners in the squad, deeming the team 'best' as per the conditions in Dubai.

"You have a lot of good batters: Shubman (Gill), Rohit (Sharma), Virat (Kohli). You are batting until number eight in Axar Patel. Rohit has picked five spinners, and this team is best for Dubai. Have faith in what you have and move ahead," he said in the same interview.

As for India, the Men In Blue began their 2025 Champions Trophy campaign on a victorious note against Bangladesh on Thursday, February 20. Bowling first, they restricted Bangladesh to 228, as Mohammed Shami picked up five wickets to lead the charge.

The chase got slightly tricky as India lost a few wickets in the middle. However, Shubman Gill (101 not out) and KL Rahul (41 not out) ensured that they got over the line with six wickets to spare.