Whenever you hear India versus Pakistan, you get a different feeling altogether, don’t you? It’s not just a cricket game in itself! Emotions run high when these two sides take on each other in any sport, let alone cricket. The adrenaline rush when the players take the field sums up the entire hype around an India-Pakistan cricket match. The players have added responsibilities on their shoulders and the fans are equally nervous, but get behind players like there is no tomorrow. It’s the players though who experience and go through all the pressure. From past to current cricketers who have represented India, we look at their takes on an India vs Pakistan clash and what it meant or means to them.

Team India coach and the spinning legend, Anil Kumble has been part of many India-Pakistan encounters. For him, it’s the biggest rivalry in this sport – period! “Every series has its charm and even India-Australia has such charm. But you can’t really beat the rivalry that India-Pakistan has.” This is what he said leading up to an India-Australia series in 2008. Pakistan wasn’t even the centre of all topics back then.

Former Indian skipper, MS Dhoni has played some outstanding knocks against Pakistan. His big hits, have sent shivers down their spine in many games. During the World T20 clash in 2014, Dhoni knew that the past doesn’t matter when these two sides take on each other on any given day. It’s a fresh game and the players have to step up on that particular day. “Nothing of the past matters in this game.” He knows stakes are high and you can’t relax during such encounters.

Ravichandran Ashwin summed it up well too! He has been part of a few games against Pakistan and he has seen the rivalry up close. “This rivalry is huge, it’s very hard to put a finger and tell you how huge! It’s probably bigger than the Ashes!” When he compared it to the Ashes, cricket’s oldest rivalry and said it’s even bigger than that, it tells us what India-Pakistan games mean to everyone within the team. He knows the fans keep everything aside and focus on the game; “As far as the Indians and Pakistanis go, I don’t think they watch this game as a game of cricket. It’s more of a border rivalry. They want to get up on each other. People put their emotions into the game.” He knows though, that for players it’s much bigger than this. “For the players, it’s all about keeping their emotions aside and trying to play the best we can!”

Iconic batsman, Sachin Tendulkar has carried a lot of burden on his shoulders throughout his playing career. He let his bat do the talking on various occasions whenever he played against Pakistan. He always saved his best and enthralled fans with glorious strokes and mesmerized them with marvellous knocks. He knows whenever the fixture is out, the players start feeling the pressure the fans experience as well. He takes us through the feeling inside the camp before the 2003 World Cup; “A Pakistan game is not only about that day. I remember 2003, when we played Pakistan at Centurion, my friends had started talking about it 10 months before that. It’s a different atmosphere altogether.”

There are too many close games to recall and mention in one column. India have delivered in ICC events and kept their record intact. Many great players have represented and felt the pressure. The Indian players always came up with a plan and held the Indian flag high. During the 2004 tour of Pakistan, India were facing Shoaib Akhtar, one of the fastest bowlers to play the game. When asked if India will face the heat when their batsmen will have to tackle the Rawalpindi Express, Sourav Ganguly said, “We will try and pull the chain and stop the train midway.” The Pakistani speedster felt the heat and his worst strike rate in Tests against any team is against India.

When the Champions Trophy 2017 fixtures came out, all eyes were on the India-Pakistan clash. Little did we know or expect for the final to be played against these two teams. Before the first game, former skipper Sourav Ganguly said “India will beat Pakistan again in the Champions Trophy!” The defending champions did win the game convincingly. Since their defeat to India in their first game, Pakistan lifted their game and are look a strong side at present. They are keeping their unpredictability tag on and have already surprised South Africa during the group stage, and England in the semi-final.

Jasprit Bumrah knows India-Pakistan clashes are special. The yorker specialist was pumped up before their meeting earlier In the Champions Trophy, “An India-Pakistan match is always special. You don’t play often against Pakistan. So whenever you play, there’s a little bit of pressure.” He knew that he had to play his natural game though. “You try to treat it as a normal game. Relax, be calm! It’s always enjoyable to play against Pakistan. The contest is always high.”

Over the years, we have seen enticing encounters between the two arch-rivals. Fans don’t hold back their emotions and players go the extra yard with their effort, to play for their nation when they face Pakistan. It goes beyond cricket and the matches are centred on high-pressure situations. The final of the Champions Trophy today, has all the makings of a fascinating and a high-intensity contest. Be rest assured that this game could have no resemblance to the one these two played on June 4th.