Two India v Pakistan matches possible on June 18

India and Pakistan cricket matches are always served with dollops of excitement and thrill and fans wait for them with lips smacking interest. The encounters are relished by devotees to their heart’s content and remain as a memoir till the next clash between the two teams. The first match between India and Pakistan on June 4 in Birmingham in the Champions Trophy was no different.

Fans got a dose of exhilaration in the mouth-watering clash as India rode on the back of a brilliant allround performance to trounce Pakistan by 124 runs (DLS). Pakistan were outplayed by India in all departments. After scoring a mammoth 319 runs, India ran into Pakistan’s batting order and choked the batters fatally. They never recovered from the onslaught and perished to a shameful defeat.

Nevertheless, the encounter was a huge success with fans flocking to the stadium in hordes. The stadium was chock-a-block with fans from either side. Enthusiasts even perched themselves on rooftops surrounding the stadium to catch the high-octane match. The pulsating crowd in blue and green clothing looked like a painting, a human canvas. It was a festive atmosphere.

It is a sad thing that these festivities come once in a year in recent times owing to the volatile political condition between the two countries. Terrorist activities at the border have hampered the relations between the Asian neighbours and peace talks have failed to lead to heightened tension in the minds of the leaders of both the nations. It has gradually infected sports which led the to suspension of cricketing ties.

Cricket was thought to be immune from political issues. But the Government of India has authorised the BCCI to stall any bilateral relations with Pakistan. As a result of this, BCCI did not honour the MOU it had signed in 2014 at an ICC meeting in Dubai to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023. It has genuinely affected legions of fans across the world who wait patiently for these encounters.

Coming back to the ongoing Champions Trophy, it is very likely that another Indo-Pak is in the offing. India has already gone into the semis after a ruthless attack on South Africa on June 11. They defeated the Proteas by 8 wickets. The Men in Blue will now be meeting Bangladesh in their semi-final clash. On the other hand, Pakistan handed a pronouncing defeat to the Sri Lankans in their final group match yesterday on June 12. They clinched victory by 3 wickets and will clash with England in the second semi final match.

The surprise news

If both the bitter rivals, India and Pakistan manage to defeat their respective opponents, the crazy fans all over the world will get to feast on another appetizing match which will also be the final of the tournament. This can be music to the ears of sports fanatics if it rings true. The surprise combo is yet to come. June 18th is incidentally the date of the semi-final match between India and Pakistan of the Hockey World League.

This will be an unbelievable day for the millions of sports fans, if everything goes according to plan, God willing. Since hockey also attracts a sizeable quantity of sports fans like cricket, devotes will have a ball on June 18.