New York (USA): Ahead of the exhilarating contest between India and Pakistan, legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and former India coach and World Cup-winning team member Ravi Shastri tried their hands in baseball at T20 World Cup 2024 fan parks in New York on Sunday.
Sachin arrived in New York on Saturday to watch a highly anticipated clash between the arch-rivals India vs Pakistan which will be played at Nassau County International Stadium on Sunday. India have already opened their account with an emphatic victory over Ireland while Pakistan have lost to minnows USA and became the second test-playing nation to get beaten by the Monank Patel-led side.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) posted a video on their Instagram handle where Sachin can be seen on the strike with the black baseball bat in hand while Shastri with a ball and a glove in the other hand was ready to throw balls to him. Shastri also commented with his energetic voice for this short and funny contest.
"India legend @sachintendulkar channelling @mlb and @yankees vibes at the #T20WorldCup fan park in New York with another cricket icon @ravishastriofficial," ICC captioned the post.
"Get ready, it's coming at the rate of knots now!," Shastri said before he started throwing to Sachin, who is the leading run-scorer in cricket history. The right-hand striker hit both the balls he faced firmly before calling 'Let's wrap. It's out of the park. It's all over, it's game over."
It's the first time ever that a part of any World Cup is being held in the USA to promote the sport across the globe as cricket has already been included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. It's also the only occasion when a total of 20 teams, the highest in any World Cup, are participating in the marquee event.
India, who played only one game so far, would aim to secure a victory over Babar Azam-led Pakistan side and replace the USA at the top. The USA will face the Rohit Sharma-led side on June 12. However, after the disappointing defeat against the co-hosts, under the threat of rain and the weight of a volatile pitch, Pakistan must be eyeing to return on the winning track. The side which is heavily dependent on their bowlers would expect them to exploit those gloomy conditions and secure their second win over India in T20 World Cup history.
On the other hand, the Rohit Sharma-led side brings with them the confidence of having adapted to New York’s unique pitch conditions. A week of intensive practice and two successful matches on these drop-in pitches have prepared them for the challenge.
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