Watch KL Rahul statement: Playing with Pakistan is always a difficult task.

The Indian vice-captain said, “When it comes to Virat Kohli’s form, “Comments aren’t really given much weight by us. A player is not really affected by what people are saying outside the sport, especially a player of Virat’s calibre.”

KL Rahul stated in a press conference on Friday that facing Pakistan will be a great challenge for the team and that they always look forward to this match. The match is highly anticipated.

“As players, we are all very enthusiastic. This matchup between India and Pakistan is one that we always anticipate. Other than these major tournaments, we never compete against one another. We will enjoy the challenge of competing against such a strong team as Pakistan. Since these games have always been intense, it is no secret that India and Pakistan have a long history of rivalry. We have a fantastic opportunity to push ourselves, said Rahul.

India last played Pakistan at the 2021 T20 World Cup and lost to them by 10 wickets. Talking about that defeat, Rahul said, “Yes obviously losing any game and in the World Cup hurts. It was the first game of the World Cup and we were all very excited. Every big team enters the tournament wanting to win and unfortunately that did not happen for us. We were outplayed by a very strong Pakistan team. We get an opportunity to play against them again and it’s a contest we are looking forward to. The match starts from zero … There might be a history of how many times the teams played against each other and won but it does not matter as the game only starts from zero.”

The Indian vice-captain said, “We don’t really give much importance to comments,” when asked about Virat Kohli’s performance. A player is not really affected by what people are saying outside the sport, especially a player of Virat’s calibre. He is working on his game after taking a brief break.

“When I was injured, I was watching him on TV. It didn’t feel like he looked out of form. I’m sure he’s hungry to win matches for the country. That’s what he has done throughout his career, ” Rahul added.