The intense rivalry between Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem surpasses the Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Former Pakistan cricketer

2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year for sports fans in India. The year kicked off with India's impressive victory at the T20 World Cup, followed by a stellar performance at the Paris Olympics 2024. Manu Bhaker made the country proud by clinching two bronze medals in shooting - one in the individual event and another in the mixed team event with Sarabjot Singh. Additionally, Swapnil Kusale also secured a bronze medal in shooting, adding to India's medal tally at the prestigious event. The achievements of these talented athletes have brought glory to the nation and inspired the next generation of sporting talent.

Meanwhile, the men's hockey team defeated Spain to claim bronze. Aman Sehrawat also bagged a wrestling bronze medal. Neeraj Chopra, who bagged gold in Tokyo 2020, failed to defend his title and had to settle for silver in men's javelin throw.

Also Read | 'I'm slightly emotional about this': Jay Shah reveals critical reason behind BCCI's reluctance to host day-night Tests

Neeraj lost his title to Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who also broke the Olympic record. We also have the Border-Gavaskar Trophy coming up in November and sports fans in India will once again be glued to their television sets.

What did Basit Ali say?

Speaking on his YouTube channel, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali compared Neeraj and Arshad's rivalry to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. "I think they are trying to create hype. The whole world knows that India vs Pakistan is on one side and everything else is on the other side. Even Ashes isn't that big. So, you are going to hear such statements now," he said.

Calling it a bigger rivalry than the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he added, "Arshad Nadeem beat Neeraj Chopra at the Paris Olympics; otherwise, it was a certain gold medal for India. The Indian cricket team has made it clear that they won't travel to Pakistan, so just conduct a bilateral series of hockey, javelin, or kabaddi between India and Pakistan in some other country, and you will know whether the India-Australia series is bigger or the India-Pakistan match is bigger. When Neeraj and Arshad compete in javelin, the whole world will be in front of the television, and the stadium will be full."

Nadeem began the final with a massive 91.79m throw and then followed it up with 92.97m which saw him break the Olympic record. In his sixth attempt, he once again crossed 90m, getting 91.79m. Meanwhile, Neeraj's best throw was 89.45m, which came in his second try. He struggled with four consecutive four throws. Grenada's Anderson Peters got bronze with 88.54m.

Stay informed with the latest updates on live cricket score, cricket players, match schedules and ICC rankings. Keep an eye on your favourite cricket team, including the stellar performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Check out the cricket schedule, track team standings and dive into player stats and rankings on Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times website and app.