INDIA captain Suryakumar Yadav declared the famed cricket rivalry with Pakistan effectively over following his team’s comprehensive six-wicket victory in their Asia Cup Super Four clash.
India successfully chased down Pakistan’s total of 171-5 with seven balls to spare at Dubai International Stadium, marking their second tournament win against their neighbours within a week.
Opener Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 74 runs from just 47 deliveries provided the foundation for India’s comfortable run chase alongside Shubman Gill’s supporting 43.
Suryakumar directly addressed post-match questions about the rivalry by stating that statistical dominance negates any competitive balance between the two teams.
“You guys should stop asking questions about the rivalry between India-Pakistan,“ he told reporters during the post-match press conference.
“According to me, if two teams play 15-20 matches, and if it is even, then it is a rivalry. 13-0, 10-1, I don’t know what the stat is, but this is not a rivalry anymore.”
The victory represents India’s 12th win in their 15 T20 international meetings against Pakistan, whose last victory came during the 2022 Asia Cup tournament.
Pakistan captain Salman Agha acknowledged his team fell 15-20 runs short despite opener Sahibzada Farhan’s impressive 58 runs from 45 balls.
“We have yet to play a perfect game in this event,“ Agha stated, looking ahead to their crucial match against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi.
“After being 91 in 10 overs we lost way but still feel 171 was a challenging total.”
Suryakumar praised his team’s superior performance across all departments while specifically highlighting Sharma’s developing talent and game awareness.
“He knows what is required of him, what bowlers are going to bowl, that’s a plus point for him,“ the Indian captain said of his young opener.
“He is learning with every game.”
The match continued the recent tradition of Indian players refusing post-match handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts following political tensions between the nations.
India and Pakistan only compete in multinational tournaments since bilateral series were suspended in 2012 due to ongoing diplomatic strains.
The top two teams from the Super Four stage will advance to the tournament final scheduled for September 28 in Dubai. – AFP
