'Shahid Afridi welcomed me with a lot of ‘kind words’' - Yuvraj Singh recalls his first India vs Pakistan match in 2003

As India and Pakistan look to lock horns in another highly-anticipated clash in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on February 23, former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh recently shared an incident about his first-ever India-Pakistan game and his fiery welcome from Shahid Afridi.

The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry is always one of the most awaited matches. The 2003 ICC World Cup game between the two teams was no different. Pakistan batted first and posted 273/7, with opener Saeed Anwar scoring a brilliant 101. In reply, a sensational 98 from Sachin Tendulkar and an unbeaten 50 from Yuvraj helped India chase down the target with six wickets in hand, securing yet another World Cup victory over their arch-rivals. Recalling the match on JioCinema’s ‘Greatest Rivalry Returns,’ Yuvraj shared his experience of playing against Pakistan for the first time.

"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.

Also Read: 'Today's players are Mcdonalds, KFC generation' - Shahid Afridi critiques lack of aggression in current generation players

Yuvraj is the son of a Sardar, he doesn’t take the pressure: Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi also spoke about that game, recalling Yuvraj’s fearless approach at the fag end of the innings which guided India to a memorable win against the Men in Green.

"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 how to unsettle the opposition. Our seniors used to tell us, ‘Show the opposition your eyes. Put pressure on them.’ But Yuvraj is the son of a Sardar—he doesn’t take the pressure. He came in with confidence, and despite everything we said, he focused on his batting and handled it very well," Afridi said.