Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh has said that previous results will not matter in the match against Pakistan. The much-awaited last round robin match of the Asian Champions Trophy will be played between India and Pakistan on Saturday. Defending champions India top the points table with four wins from four matches, while Pakistan is placed second. Paris Olympics bronze medalist India defeated China 3-0, Japan 5-1, Malaysia 8-1 and Korea 3-1.
On the other hand, the Pakistani team, playing under the guidance of great forward Tahir Zaman, played a 2-2 draw with Malaysia and Korea. Apart from this, Japan was defeated 2-1 and China 5-1.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh has maintained his excellent form since the Paris Olympics and is very excited about playing against Pakistan. Harmanpreet said, “I have been playing against some players from Pakistan since my junior days. I have a good relationship with him and he is like a brother. However, on the field, one has to control emotions against any opponent.
He said, “There is no comparison to the rivalry between India and Pakistan in world hockey. I am sure that hockey fans all over the world will be waiting for this match.” He said, ”Past results will not matter in this match. Pakistan is a strong team and has the power to come back in the match at any time.
Talking about the current form, India has the upper hand. Last year, India had defeated Pakistan 10-2 in the Hangzhou Asian Games. Before that, there was a 4-0 win over Pakistan in the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai. In the 2022 Asia Cup in Jakarta, the young Indian team held Pakistan to a 1-1 draw while in the 2021 Asian Champions Trophy in Dhaka, India won the bronze medal by defeating Pakistan 4-3.
