After recording their seventh straight win over Pakistan across two formats of the game, T20Is and ODIs, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav said cricket’s most famous rivalry has lost its sting.
Having lost the group stage game on September 14, Pakistan once again failed to put up a strong fight against India in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup in Dubai, going down by six wickets.
Salman Agha’s team put 171 for five on the board despite a modest display from India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah (4-0-45-0).
Even star spinner Kuldeep Yadav (4-0-31-1) had a quiet game by his standards.
Pakistan, at one stage, did look set for a big total when they reached 91 for one after 10 overs.
But their middle order failed to capitalise on the good start as India managed to stage a comeback even as their two best bowlers failed to produce their best form and their fielders dropped five catches.
Indian batters, led by openers Abhishek Sharma (74) and Shubman Gill (47), then killed the game as a contest as Suryakumar’s team romped to a six-wicket win with seven balls to spare at Dubai International Stadium.
Pakistan’s last success against India came in Dubai when they beat their arch-rivals in the Super Four stage of the 2022 Asia Cup.
Since then, India have beaten them in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne and twice in ODIs in 2023.
They also got the better of Pakistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup before recording another emphatic win in the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai.
Now at the ongoing Asia Cup on the same ground, India have recorded back-to-back victories.
Suryakumar was blunt at the post-match press conference on Sunday, saying India vs Pakistan is not a rivalry anymore.
“I think people should stop asking about this rivalry. In my opinion, if two teams have played 15 matches, and if one team is leading 7-8, then you can say that it’s good cricket and it’s a good rivalry,” the Indian captain said.
“But 3-0 or 10-1, I don’t know what the stats are, but I don’t think it’s a rivalry anymore. I feel we have played better cricket than them.”
While Suryakumar’s response may not earn him many fans in Pakistan, his assessment is right.
Pakistan did have their moments on Sunday, but they failed to hold their nerve to challenge the well-drilled Indian team.
Agha lamented the team’s failure to post a bigger total after the fine start and their bowlers’ inability to take early wickets in the power-play overs.
“The start we got today, we should have been able to score at least 15 more runs,” the Pakistan skipper said at the post-match press conference.
“Having said that, I don’t think 170 was a bad total on this wicket. But we could not bowl the way we wanted to in the power-play overs.”
Now they must bounce back quickly for their make-or-break Super Four game against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
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