Rajeev Shukla on Sachin Tendulkar (Source: @TRSOriginals/X.com, @CricketopiaCom/X.com)
India playing Pakistan in any format and any part of the world is a spectacle to behold, where the world stands still and witnesses two great cricketing nations fighting it out to preserve their glorious past in a cut-throat competition. Something along these lines was revealed by BCCI (Board of Control For Cricket In India) VP Rajeev Shukla, who spoke about the iconic Indo-Pak series back in 2006.
Speaking to famous YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia on his channel, Shukla, who has been in the apex body for the better part of the last two decades, shed light on his conversation with greats Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid before the tour to the neighbouring country.
Indian Players Were Scared Says Shukla
The BCCI VP was asked about his favourite cricketing moment, and to this, Shukla narrated a story, back from the year 2006 when they had planned a tour to Pakistan, and at that time, all the players were present in Australia for the series.
However, soon after all those seniors learned about the Pakistan tour, they dialled Rajeev's number, which included the likes of great Tendulkar and Dravid, who seemed nervous about travelling to a hostile nation.
To this, former journalist Shukla and BCCI arranged a security briefing for the players to ensure they took all the precautions and followed the guidelines presented to them.
"I went to Karachi for a tour, and our players were very scared. So, I remember they were playing in Australia. So, I got a call from Sachin and Rahul Dravid. They asked me, "Why are you sending us to Pakistan?" So, I briefed their security in Taj Mansingh. Security told them what precautions to take. After that the boys got relief. There was no tension later on."
India To Play Their Champions Trophy Matches in Dubai Not Pakistan
The 2006 tour was a massive success in terms of competition and commercialization as India won the five-match ODI series 4-1 while Pakistan took the three-match Test series 1-0.
Anyway, coming back to the current scenario, India denied travelling to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 and, hence, will play all their matches in Dubai, including knockouts if they qualify.