After a resounding six-wicket win against Pakistan in the Asia Cup Super 4 match, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav made a bold statement on Sunday, September 21, 2025, urging everyone to reconsider labeling contests between the two cricketing giants as a genuine ‘rivalry.’
Highlighting India’s superior performance, Yadav pointed out that in 15 T20 International encounters, the reigning world champions have emerged victorious in 12 of them. Their latest triumph further solidified this trend.
When a veteran Pakistani journalist inquired whether the gap in standards between the two teams had widened significantly, Suryakumar responded with a knowing smile. “Sir, my request is that we should now stop calling India versus Pakistan matches a rivalry,” he stated.
Even when the journalist clarified that his question pertained to the ‘standards’ rather than the ‘rivalry,’ the Indian captain remained unfazed and quipped nonchalantly, “Sir, rivalry and standard are all the same. Now what exactly defines a rivalry? If two teams have played 15 matches and the score is 8-7, that’s a rivalry. Here, it’s something like 13-1 (or rather, 12-3). There is simply no contest.” He concluded his remarks with a grin before leaving the media conference.