Former Pakistan captain and standout batter Babar Azam has shared his thoughts ahead of the eagerly awaited blockbuster showdown with India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set for Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium.

In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Babar spoke about the unparalleled intensity and worldwide attention that a Pakistan-India clash invariably commands.

He emphasised the pressure these matches bring — not just from fans, but from the responsibility of representing the nation on a massive stage.

“Like you said, a Pakistan-India match is always high intensity. The whole world and the fans are involved. Even with so many people watching, it plays out on different levels, and expectations naturally rise,” Babar said.

Drawing from his own experience, the 31-year-old stressed the importance of maintaining composure and managing expectations. 

Babar highlighted how staying calm and not getting distracted by external opinions can make a crucial difference, especially for younger players navigating the hype of high-profile encounters.

“I’ve been part of many matches, and we’ve learnt that the more we stay cool, relaxed, and don’t listen to what people say, the better it is. Youngsters often get excited and talk about it, but if you stay easy and tension-free, it always works in your favour,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention that both teams remain unbeaten in the group stage so far. Pakistan has registered victories over the Netherlands and the USA, while India has defeated the USA and Namibia.

Historically, India and Pakistan have met 16 times in T20 Internationals, with India winning 13 and Pakistan three. 

In T20 World Cup encounters, the two sides have clashed eight times, with India leading 6-1 and one match ending in a tie.

Has United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 250 percent tariff on Norway for winning most gold medals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games?? The question has been buzzing on social media.

A post on X, having one million views, showing an alleged snapshot of President Trump’s post on Truth Social claims that the U.S. president has accused Norway of cheating and threatened to impose tariffs.

The alleged post read, “Norway is about to win the most golds AGAIN. A country smaller than South Carolina! We pay for their defence through NATO, and they spend it all on wax labs running fluorocarbon power overlays on CLASSIFIED sintered polyethylene base material that you literally CAN’T EVEN BUY.”

The statement continued, “If Norway does not IMMEDIATELY share their stone grind patterns and fluorocarbon protocols with American teams, I will have no choice but to put a 250 percent tariff on Norwegian salmon, effective immediately.”

The post ends with signature Trump remarks – MAKE SKIING FAIR AGAIN!!.

However, the post was fake as President Trump has not threatened Norway nor did he post any statement related to skiing on his Truth Social account.

A community note has now been added to the fake X post, which reads, “This is not a real Truth Social from Donald Trump. The original poster even admitted it.”

The user who shared the fake screenshot admitted that the statement was not real but a satire.