NEW DELHI: India's focus on Sunday will be split between two significant events: the high-stakes T20 World Cup clash between India and Pakistan, and the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi for his third term as Prime Minister.
The oath ceremony is scheduled for 7:15 PM at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, just 45 minutes before the start of the India-Pakistan match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, which kicks off at 8:00 PM IST.
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria extended his congratulations to PM Modi ahead of his swearing-in ceremony and predicted a "double delight" for Indians with Modi's inauguration and an Indian victory over Pakistan.
"I want to congratulate Narendra Modi on becoming Prime Minister of India again. He has done a lot for the nation. Sunday will be a double delight for Indians, with Modi's oath-taking ceremony and India beating Pakistan in New York," Kaneria told IANS.
Pakistan's campaign in the tournament got off to a rocky start with a surprising defeat to the USA, which ended in a Super Over. In contrast, India had a comfortable victory over Ireland in their opening game. The upcoming match against India is crucial for Pakistan; a loss could jeopardize their chances of advancing to the Super 8, especially with the USA in a stronger position.
Kaneria offered a critical view of the current Pakistan team, attributing their struggles to internal issues.
"Their ego never ends, their intentions are not clear. They form teams based on families and relatives; no one thinks about the country. This is not how a team is made. If you’re being unfair to players’ careers, then this is what will happen. What happened with Pakistan in the first game was always going to happen," he added.
(With inputs from IANS)
