The final fixture of Champions Trophy 2017, which will take place today at
The Oval
, is what every Indian cricket fan wishes for — India meeting Pakistan in the final of a major tournament. The teams have played each other earlier in the tournament, which went India’s way. With Pakistan seeking to avenge their loss, and defending champions India looking to retain their title, the finale promises to be a heavy-duty one.
We caught up with Team India and
Karnataka cricketer
KL Rahul, who has been sidelined after undergoing a shoulder surgery earlier this year, to find out what will be going through the cricketers’ minds, his predictions, plans for watching the match and more...
What do you think of India’s performance in the tournament so far?Right from the warmup game, India have been very professional and methodical in their approach. They’ve seamlessly switched to ODI mode, despite playing a lot of
IPL T20 games prior to this tourney. What's worked best for us is how we haven’t been reliant on just our batting, bowling or fielding prowess but all three combined.
Pakistan have had a good run too...Pakistan have peaked at the right time, especially their bowling. They'll definitely be under pressure coming into this game, having already lost to India earlier in the tournament. But that could also motivate them to do better.
While India has had a good run, there’s the pressure of being the defending champions. Can they strike a balance between the two?The success mantra of the Indian team has been taking each game at a time, and not paying heed to past records or future glory. Stats and records don’t matter when you’re playing a big game. We keep it simple and go back to basics when things aren’t working for us. Our focus has always been inwards, which will not change just because we are in the final.
Your favourite India Pakistan
clashes...Almost all of them, but if I had to pick a few, then it would be the test match in Chennai in 1999, followed by both our games at the 2007 T20 World Cup. I even loved our semifinal clash at the 2011 ODI World Cup.
Where will you be watching the game today, and with whom?No definite plans yet, but mostly in the comfort of my home with my gang of friends.
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