Babar Azam warns Virat Kohli and co before T20 World Cup

Pakistan captain Babar Azam subtly warned Virat Kohli and all other T20 World Cup captains ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. He pointed out that it was like a home event for Pakistan because the UAE was their adopted home ground for years. 

Pakistan played a lot of home matches in the Middle East after teams decided against touring Pakistan. Initially, India was set to host the ICC T20 World Cup. However, they allotted the tournament to the United Arab Emirates and Oman. 

Referring to this change and how it can benefit the Pakistan cricket team at the mega event, Pakistan captain Babar Azam said on ICC’s official website:

"For Pakistan, the T20 World Cup is like a home event as the UAE has been our venue for more than a decade. We have not only nurtured our talent and developed our side in the UAE but have also beaten the top sides in these conditions to peak to No. 1 in the ICC T20I team rankings. All the players are excited, motivated, and enthusiastic, and view this tournament as an opportunity to showcase our prowess and re-establish our superiority in the shortest format of the game in conditions that suit us best."

Babar Azam’s team will open their campaign against favorites India 

Babar Azam’s men will face a tough challenge in their opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. The Pakistan cricket team will battle against the Indian cricket team in their first match of the competition. 

Fans should note that India has never lost to Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup. Also, when the Asia Cup 2018 happened in the United Arab Emirates, India defeated Pakistan in all of their encounters. Hence, it goes without saying that India are the favorites to win the tournament opener.