ICC T20 World Cup 2022: 'Sure, India-Pakistan final will happen' - Mithali Raj

Former champion Pakistan, nearly ousted from the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, was handed one lifeline, thanks to the Netherlands upsetting South Africa. The Men in Green utilised it to the fullest to qualify for the semis and outclass New Zealand in the semis to seal its place in the final. On Thursday, arch-rival and fellow former champion India will take on another former champion England at the Adelaide Oval in the semis for a place in the final. While fans will desperately be hoping for the arch-rivals to lock horns at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, legendary former Indian women skipper Mithali raj is confident of it happening.

Talking to Star Sports, Mithali commented, "Sure, it [Indo-Pak final] will [occurr]. Now that Pakistan has qualified for the final, India will be at their best. They [India] must be at their A-game on Thursday if they have to beat England. And, it's a ground that India has done well. So, if the wicket is very similar to what we see today, it will favour India."

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Mithali also feels that former Indian skipper and top-order batter Virat Kohli will have a crucial role to play. "I think more than everybody, he will put that expectation on himself to score runs in the semi-finals when India needs him the most. Of course, he's done very well in the deep phase against Pakistan and has been consistent throughout the tournament," she supposed, reports PTI.

"He [Kohli] would want to continue that form in the semi-finals. To reach the final, it's important that he scores runs. He needs to continue to follow his routine and not change too much because his expectations are there. There will be pressure. I'm sure as a player he knows how to absorb that and stand and deliver."

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Also, legendary former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh expects skipper Rohit Sharma to deliver, who has struggled lately. "This will create an opportunity for him to show his mettle. We saw what Babar [Azam] and [Mohammad] Rizwan did, big players in big games, they go on to perform, and Rohit is a big, big player, and we all want him to score runs.

"When he [Rohit] scores runs, it feels like he's batting on a different surface, no matter how difficult that surface is. We all want him to come into form. Thursday might be his day, and when his day comes, India is going to win," added Rohit. While he also thinks that young wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant might be behind the stumps, he would go ahead with veteran keeper-finisher Dinesh Karthik.

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"I have no choice. I would go with Rahul Dravid because he likes Rishabh Pant, but I would like Dinesh Karthik, who was playing earlier. Yes, it's so tough to bat at that number, not many could do what [MS] Dhoni and Yuvraj [Singh] did, and you're comparing DK with those players who have been game champions. And yes, DK is a great player who has done well to get to this level. I think he should be given a go. But yes, they also want to have another left-hander in the team," concluded Harbhajan.