The passion for cricket which exists among fans in South Asian countries borders on the religious. But when the teams involved are India and Pakistan, the ardour of the fans reaches fever pitch.
Indian and Pakistan cricket fans performed special prayers in their regions as the two arch-rival cricket teams are set to lock horns on Saturday.
People in Patna city (Bihar state) performed a special prayer on Saturday morning that the Indian cricket team might achieve a thumping victory. Prayers were also offered to the team at the Hindu Mahakal Temple in the ancient city of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh before the World Cup match.
Across the border, Pakistani fans also reportedly performed prayers for their team in Balochistan.
Indian fans have been gathering outside the stadium since early Saturday morning, holding placards and cheering for the team. The heightened emotion of the match is a continuation of the intense rivalry that has characterised cricket matches between the two countries, with India holding an unblemished 7-0 record over Pakistan in World Cup showdowns.
However, Pakistani fans told the media that records are meant to be broken, and this time, they will are confident of winning the match, whereas Indian fans remain assured that history is meant to be repeated.
The cricket match will be held in the world's largest cricket stadium, which has a capacity for 132,000 fans. However, media reported that thousands of fans who failed to get tickets will be cheering outside.