Rival captains Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam say families and cars defuse the pressure surrounding a match between their bitter neighbors.

Due to their soured political relations, bilateral cricket remains suspended between the arch-rivals, and emotions run high when they clash in multi-team tournaments.

A blockbuster match between former champions India and Australia is soon to be played in Melbourne, but Rohit Sharma downplayed the hype.

Creating pressure

“There is no point in talking about the game every time and creating pressure within yourself,” the batsman said at the pre-tournament media interaction.

A camaraderie between the sides was evident at the recent Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates, where fans treat every match between India and Pakistan as a rivalry.

The team wished Shaheen Afridi a speedy recovery from a knee injury, while the Pakistan speedster wished Virat Kohli good health.

Rohit said they discuss their families and how things are back home whenever they meet, just like they did at the Asia Cup.

Previous generation of cricketers

During our conversations with the previous generation of cricketers, we learned they also used to ask us, “How’s life?” 

It is apparent that the rivalry between the two sides does not affect the bonhomie between the two sides off the field.

When we meet, we don’t even talk about cricket when we meet,” said the stylish opener in response to the question. There is a seniority difference between him (Rohit) and me. 

It is always a pleasure for me to connect with him whenever we come across each other, since he has served India for a very long period of time.

It’s always a good idea to learn from the experience of others.”

Babar was fully aware of the match’s importance, despite his feel-good mood.

It is always a high-intensity contest when we face India,” said the 28-year-old. There are also fans who look forward to seeing them. Our experience on the field is one we enjoy a great deal, and we give it our all every time we play.”