"There Is A Culture Of...": Navjot Singh Sidhu's Honest Thoughts On India-Pakistan Rivalry

Former India batter Navjot Singh Sidhu said that the upcoming Champions Trophy clash between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday is going to be the "mother of all battles". The veteran commentator added the team that will perform better under pressure has the chance of winning the blockbuster encounter. "It is the mother of all battles. There's nothing bigger than this. I think it's the tension that holds everybody together. When 150 crore people expect a win from you, they will never swallow a defeat. There is a culture of retribution. This game is played more between the ears than between the hands - it's a psychological battle. There's plenty of nervous energy floating around, but the side that converts it into positive energy is the side that will win," Sidhu said on a special episode of JioHotstar's Greatest Rivalry Returns.

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also shared his thoughts on the blockbuster match and remembered his first experience of playing against Pakistan in 2003.

"It's one of the greatest ODI games I've played. My friend Shahid Afridi welcomed me with a lot of ‘kind words' in that game. That was when I truly understood what the India-Pakistan rivalry meant. Watching it on TV was one thing, but playing in it was completely different. I remember the immense pressure, but performing well in that game gave me the confidence to become a better player in the future," he said.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi added on the incident and revealed what happened in that match.

"Yuvraj was young at the time, just finding his place in the team. We had the opportunity to play alongside legends like Inzamam-ul-Haq bhai and Wasim Akram bhai, who taught us how to fight on the ground, how to win matches, and