“We shouldn’t listen to the outside noise” - Babar Azam ahead of the marquee clash against India

Pakistan middle-order batter Babar Azam, who would be aiming to play a pivotal role in the India vs Pakistan clash on Sunday, February 15, in Colombo, has stated that his team would be aiming not to listen to the outside noise.

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Notably, Pakistan is coming into this encounter against India after suffering three consecutive defeats to their arch-rivals in the Asia Cup 2025 campaign, as India bagged the silverware in Dubai. 

"Like it has been talked about, the Pakistan versus India clash is always filled with high intensity. Fans from both the countries are involved, and in fact, the entire world is watching you play. So the expectations hit a different level,” Babar Azam told ESPNcricinfo.

“We've had our learnings from the clash in the past but know that it is important to keep ourselves cool and relaxed. We should not listen to the outside noise. Yes, the excitement is always there, but as much as you can keep your attention, the results can be favourable,” he added.

India is currently topping the Group A points table with two consecutive wins against the USA and Namibia. On the other hand, Pakistan is occupying the second rank with two consecutive victories against the Netherlands and the USA.

India and Pakistan will lock horns in their third group stage encounter at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, on Sunday, February 15, in Colombo.

India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.

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Pakistan squad: Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.

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