India favourites against Pakistan, Virat Kohli & Co. among three best sides in the world: Ex-Pak cricketer

India are all set to lock horns with arch-rivals Pakistan in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021 in what promises to be a blockbuster clash at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on October 24. Ahead of the much-awaited clash between the two sides, former Pakistan all-rounder Mudassar Nazar has termed India favourites against Pakistan.

Nazar believes India are a formidable outfit and Pakistan don't stand a chance against Virat Kohli & Co. in the upcoming clash. The former Pakistan all-rounder stated that India are among the top three sides in the world at present. 

"I don't think Pakistan has changed. It is India who have changed. India is in the forefront and among the three best sides in the world," Nazar, who played 76 Tests and 122 ODIs for Pakistan, was quoted as saying by AFP.

India and Pakistan will be up against each other for the first time since the 2019 ODI World Cup when they meet in Dubai as the two teams do not engage in bilateral cricket owing to the political tensions between the two countries. The pressure will be immense on players from both sides in a game that will be watched by billions across the globe.

Nazar believes India have all bases covered heading into the clash and that the Kohli-led side has everything from a brilliant batting line-up to a skilful bowling attack which can trouble any team in the world. Nazar said India are looking formidable at present.

"They have got all the areas covered. You talk about fast bowling, you talk about spinners, fielding, the physical side, it's a powerhouse. They seem to be getting top-class batsmen every season. At the moment they are looking very formidable," he said.

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Nazar also lauded the BCCI for running a proper cricket ecosystem in India and investing the money from the Indian Premier League (IPL) wisely in improving the cricketing infrastructure across all levels which has helped the Indian team produce great talent.

"With the advent of the IPL, they have used the money really, really well. If you look at the domestic competition in India, look at all the associations, how well they are organising their cricket,” said Nazar.

“Everybody has got their own stadium, their own academies, school cricket, state cricket. Cricket is thriving in India. The BCCI have been very clever in how they used the IPL money. Indian cricket was powerful before that but since then it has seen a lot of consistency,” he added.