T20 World Cup 2021: "KL Rahul is a major threat to Pakistan" - Matthew Hayden lauds India opener

Pakistan's batting consultant Matthew Hayden has identified Team India opener KL Rahul as a major threat to his side. Both teams lock horns on Sunday, October 24 in Dubai.

The former Australian opener has joined the men in greens to work with their batters for the T20 World Cup. As Pakistan get ready for Sunday's high-voltage clash, Matthew Hayden feels KL Rahul's dominance in shorter formats is noteworthy.

"I sense that KL Rahul is a major threat to Pakistan. His dominance in the shorter format is good. Someone like Rishabh Pant, with a cheeky smile and his brash nature and beautiful vision for the game, is a destroyer," Matthew Hayden said at a virtual media interaction.

KL Rahul will enter the T20 World Cup on the back of superlative form, scoring 626 runs from 13 matches, including six half-centuries. The Indian think tank will expect Rahul to function in full swing in the multi-nation tournament alongside Rohit Sharam at the top-order.

Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, also has been in good form with the bat and Virat Kohli & Co. will rely heavily on him in the middle-order.

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"The mood is high" - Matthew Hayden on Pakistan players ahead of India tie

Matthew Hayden, who joined the Pakistan squad last week, said the players are in good mental space and are gearing up for the all-important clash.

"The mood is high, the relationships within the team are very strong and the players seem very happy and relaxed in spite of the obvious pressure starting from our first match," Matthew Hayden added.

Pakistan had a mixed outing in the warm-up games, losing to South Africa after beating West Indies in their first outing. Babar Azam & Co will have to play out of their skins when they rub shoulders against a star-studded Indian side in Dubai.