End of a Cricket Clash: Suryakumar Yadav on India’s New Dynamic with Pakistan

If cricket were a company on the stock exchange, its shares would have plummeted to an all-time low following Suryakumar Yadav’s bold statement on Sunday, declaring that the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry is a thing of the past.

This wasn’t a peace declaration between the often hostile neighbors, but rather a nod to the current one-sided nature of the cricketing ‘rivalry’ between India and Pakistan, which seems driven more by economics than by a balance of skills.

“When two teams have played 15-20 matches against each other and the record is 7-7 or one leads 8-7, that’s a rivalry. But 13-0, 10-1—I’m not sure of the exact stats, but this isn’t a rivalry anymore,” stated the Indian captain following India’s six-wicket victory over Pakistan during the Super-Four stage of the Asia Cup in Dubai.

Following their second consecutive victory over Pakistan in the ongoing tournament, India now enjoys a seven-match winning streak across all formats against the former rival.

Suryakumar’s remarks on the lopsided head-to-head statistics aren’t far off. Post Sunday’s match, India leads 12-3 in T20Is against Pakistan.

Despite a more competitive batting effort posting a total of 171, Pakistan struggled against India in the group stage, partly due to a slowdown post the 10-over mark, after a strong PowerPlay start of 55 runs.

From overs 11 to 16, Pakistan failed to find the boundary, managing only 30 runs while losing three wickets, with Indian spinners and medium-pacer Shivam Dube regaining control.

Suryakumar highlighted, “The game shifted after the first innings drinks break. The players showed renewed energy, changing their lines and lengths after 10 overs. The spinners delivered better lengths, and Shivam Dube’s spell was pivotal.”

He added, “Playing smart cricket between overs 7 to 15 gives an advantage. In the PowerPlay, the ball is hard for easier shots, but post-PowerPlay, smart batting is crucial. We executed this well today to ensure a victory.”

While pleased with the team’s performance, Suryakumar expressed slight dissatisfaction with fielding after four catches were missed. However, he took it with humor saying, “The fielding coach has already emailed the boys for a meeting tomorrow. It’s part of the game, and with more crucial matches ahead, I’m not overly concerned.”

Published on Sep 22, 2025