New Delhi: Cricket’s biggest on-field rivalry and off-field friendship, the India-Pakistan clash, has ignited again for the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Both teams will start their campaign on October 23 against each other in Melbourne. Meanwhile, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is also excited about the match. He believes that there is special hype and emotions involved when India plays Pakistan.

Before starting the T20 World Cup campaign, Pant said that singing the national anthem on the field gives goosebumps and it is a different atmosphere in the India-Pakistan game. Pant also remembered the game against Pakistan in the last T20 World Cup where India posted 151/7 and Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan managed to chase it down and win the game with 10 wickets. In the game, Pant hit a 53-run partnership with former skipper Virat Kohli and scored a quickfire 39. He said, “I fondly remember that I smacked Hasan Ali for two sixes in the same over.”

Talking about the partnership with Virat, he said they were trying to get the run rate up after losing early wickets when he hit two one-handed sixes using what he calls his ‘special shot’. He added that Kohli can teach someone how to go through situations, which might help in the cricket journey and that he feels nice batting with him.

Talking about Virat Kohli, Pant went on to say that having someone with a lot of experience batting with you is good because Kohli can teach you how to take the game on and how to maintain that run-a-ball pressure on the opponents.

India will face Pakistan on October 23 in Melbourne. While the team management has shown that Dinesh Karthik will be playing the role of the wicketkeeper-batter in the playing XI, Pant has a dimension of being left-handed and can be seen as a backup opener also. It would be interesting to see who plays against Pakistan in the first game.