Following India’s commanding six-wicket win over Pakistan in the Super Fours of the Asia Cup 2025, skipper Suryakumar Yadav didn’t hold back during the post-match press conference. When questioned about the storied rivalry between the two sides, the 35-year-old dismissed the idea entirely, suggesting the contests have become one-sided.
“You all should stop asking questions about this ‘rivalry’. If a set of teams play 15 or 20 matches against each other and if score is 7-7 or 8-7, then its called a rivalry. 13-0, 10-1, I don’t know the exact stat but this is not a rivalry anymore. I feel we played better cricket than them. Between 7-15 and also bowling point of view,” Suryakumar said bluntly in the post-match press conference.
Abhishek Sharma stole the show
The Indian openers set the tone with a commanding 105-run stand, the first century-plus partnership in this Asia Cup edition. Abhishek was aggressive, scoring 74 off 39 balls with six fours and five sixes, while Gill contributed a quickfire 47 from 28 deliveries, featuring eight boundaries. After Gill’s dismissal at 105, Abhishek continued until the 13th over before being caught out by Haris Rauf.
Though Pakistan fought back by picking key wickets, India’s strong start kept them comfortably ahead. Suryakumar Yadav fell cheaply for a duck, while Rishabh Pant struggled with 13 runs. However, Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma steadied the chase with an unbeaten 26-run partnership. Varma scored 30 off 19 balls, and Pandya finished with seven runs off seven balls to seal the win.
Pakistan posted 171/5, with Sahibzada Farhan’s 58 off 45 balls being a highlight. Shivam Dube (2/33), Varun Chakravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav bowled well, while Jasprit Bumrah had an expensive outing, conceding 45 runs in four overs.
