"Even Kids In Pakistan Won't Know Their Players' Names": Ex India Star Nikhil Chopra To NDTV

The gulf between India and Pakistan cricket teams has only grown over the last few years. Though India won't have the services of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja in the Asia Cup clash against Pakistan, the team still looks incredibly stronger in comparison to their opponents from across the border. In a chat with NDTV, former India cricketer Nikhil Chopra embarrassed Pakistan as he said that even their own country's children would not be able to name the players in the current team.

"No disrespect to the Pakistan side, but if you look at their team and ask any kid on the streets to name their top three or top four players, some of these kids, even die-hard cricket fans who follow the T20 format, won't know the names. But if you ask them about the '90s cricket heroes from Pakistan, they'll remember, " Chopra said during an interview.

Chopra also pointed out how few match-winners are in the Pakistan team in comparison to India's

"The difference is, when you look at the 11 or you look at the 15 for India, there are match winners, experienced players, and world-beating stars. The Indian team, whether you view it from an IPL perspective or in terms of T20 performances, is stacked with talent. Somebody like Yashasvi Jaiswal has not even got an opportunity in the 15, so you can imagine the good headache Ajit Agarkar and the rest of the team management have," he added.

Sharing his verdict on the match, Chopra feels India are 70-30 favourites.

"You might see some subtle dew, and if there is subtle dew, then, you know, I won't be surprised if Team India would want to go out there and chase just to make sure that the ball will skid on, and then the spinners find it really tough to get any sort of turn on that surface. And if they are (Men in Green) playing just that one medium-pacer, they'll find it even tougher with the four spinners that they're looking to play. If there's dew, it'll be tougher for them. It is 70-30 in favor of India."

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team Nikhil Chopra Asia Cup 2025 Cricket