'Hello, Bharat', Says Fakhar Zaman Upon Reaching India And The Post Goes Viral, Pakistan Team Hold First Training Session In Hyderabad
One of the most important players for the Pakistan cricket team is Fakhar Zaman. He is going to bat first for the Men in Green. His post on X for "Bharat" is getting a lot of attention.
On Wednesday, September 24, before the start of the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023, the men's cricket team from Pakistan touched down in India.
The 15-man team, captained by Babar Azam, left Pakistan to fly to Delhi via Dubai before arriving in Hyderabad for two practise matches. They play their opening game against the Netherlands on October 6 at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
In a video that was uploaded to X (previously Twitter), Pakistan Cricket demonstrated how the national squad was practising and working with the nets for the first time.
Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan's opening hitter, won over many Indian hearts by referring to his nation by its other name. The Indian government recently referred to itself as Bharat, a name that appears in the Indian Constitution as well. "Hello, Bharat," wrote Fakhar in a post that also used the same name.
India fans are greeted with joy in the streets as Fakhar arrives in the country. A few fans have also poked fun at Fakhar, speculating that the Pakistani cricket player would wish to become an Indian citizen.
In the World Cup Match 8 at Hyderabad exclusively on October 10, the Men in Green will meet Sri Lanka following their opening match against the Netherlands. After that, on October 14, they will travel to Ahmedabad to play host and bitter foe India at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium.
Remember that Pakistan enters the World Cup as the second-ranked ODI team in the world, behind India. They held the top spot in the world till the Asia Cup 2023 ended. However, India dropped to No. 2 in the rankings after defeating Australia in the first two ODIs, winning the Asia Cup, and eliminating Pakistan.
Hello, Bharat! 👋 pic.twitter.com/Fw4weRP41l
— Fakhar Zaman (@FakharZamanLive) September 28, 2023
In the past, the teams ranked in the top two of the ODI rankings prior to the World Cup have won the championship. This has been the pattern since 1999. Pakistan is touted as one of the four semi-finalists, but India appears to be the clear favourite to win the competition.
This is a result of Pakistan's strong squad and comparable playing circumstances to those of India. Even after losing the Asia Cup, Pakistan remains a formidable team.