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Coach Downplays Hype Ahead of India-Pakistan Asian Games Cricket Final
M
Moneycontrol•02-10-2026, 14:02
Coach Downplays Hype Ahead of India-Pakistan Asian Games Cricket Final
- •Indian men's team batting coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar emphasizes treating the India-Pakistan Asian Games cricket final as "just another international game" for a gold medal.
- •Kanitkar highlights the importance of every international game for professional players, with all actions closely scrutinized.
- •Despite the team's professional approach, the India-Pakistan clash generates significant fan attraction and inherent pressure on players.
- •The coach stresses the special significance of the game for the country's medal tally, viewing it as a proud moment to contribute to the nation's success.
- •The final at the Asian Games presents a historic opportunity for both teams, despite the perceived one-sided nature of recent India-Pakistan cricket encounters.
Key Questions Answered
Indian men's team batting coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar downplayed the rivalry and the hype surrounding the match, stating that it is just another international game and treating it like any other fixture.
Suryakumar Yadav made the sensational remark that there was "no competition" ahead of the high-profile match.
Pakistan cricket has hit rock bottom over the last five years across formats and arrived at the Asian Games with their second-string team, causing the matchup to tilt heavily in favor of India's full-strength squad led by Shreyas Iyer.
