T20 World Cup 2021: Rohit Sharma is liked more than Virat Kohli in Pakistan, people call him 'India ka Inzamam: Shoaib Akhtar

Former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar has recently revealed that current Indian white-ball cricket vice-captain Rohit Sharma is more loved than Indian skipper Virat Kohli in Pakistan. Akhtar mentioned that his nation's people appreciate Sharma by calling the batter India ka Inzamam (Indian version of Inzamam).

Former Pakistani captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is considered one of the all-time greats in cricket and is renowned for his 'lazy elegance' while batting. Similarly, Indian opener Rohit Sharma also often gets credit for playing the ball late and having that lazy touch to his batting.

India and Pakistan now might not be playing against each other as often as they used to earlier, but the contest still holds a special place in the hearts of cricket lovers. With the two sides set to open their campaign at the T20 World Cup 2021 on Sunday, former cricketers from both nations have been sharing their own experience of this iconic contest.

While speaking to Zee news, the Rawalpindi Express indicated that the people in Pakistan appreciate Indian cricketers and the whole team. The 46-year-old added that his nation holds a good narrative about India.

"Today, there are no Pakistanis who say that India does not have a good team," he said. "They appreciate it openly. They consider Virat Kohli a great player and Rohit Sharma even greater. People here in Pakistan say, 'he is the Inzamam-Ul-Haq of India'. People appreciate Rishabh Pant for the way he played in Australia. Then there is Suryakumar Yadav. He is being appreciated too. So, Pakistan holds a very good narrative about India."

Akhtar, who is no stranger to talking about India-Pakistan cricket, also added that he considers himself fortunate to be loved by so many Indian fans.

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“If Pakistan manage to beat India, I'll be very surprised because they don't have a strong unit like that of India" - Mohammad Kaif

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif, who was also a part of the conversation, picked the Indian team as the favorites for the Super 12 match against Pakistan. The 40-year-old believes that the Men in Blue will have an edge due to their recent experience of playing the IPL in the UAE.

“Historically, India has always won these (World Cup) matches. But it depends on how the players perform on match day. The Indian side has an advantage that they just played the IPL in the UAE and are accustomed to the conditions. Players are also in form. It would be a shocker if Pakistan wins. Of course, anything can happen in T20, but on paper, India appears to be a much stronger team,” said Kaif.

The high-octane clash between the two arch-rivals will be of huge importance as only two out of six teams from each group will qualify for the T20 World Cup semi-finals. The match will be played at the Dubai International Stadium on October 24.