'India vs Pakistan Not A Rivalry': Suryakumar Yadav Says There's No Contest

"There is no contest," declared Suryakumar Yadav in the post-match press conference after India's thumping win over Pakistan in the Super 4 stage of the 2025 Asia Cup on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

India chased down the 172-run target given by Pakistan in 18.5 overs to continue their unbeaten run in the continental tournament.

This is now India's second win over Pakistan in ongoing Asia Cup after the Men In Blue had earned an emphatic seven-wicket victory in their campaign opener.

When a senior Pakistani journalist asked after the match about the gap between the two sides in the "rivalry", the Indian captain requested him to not call the match-up a "rivalry".

“Sir, my request is that we should now stop calling India vs Pakistan matches a rivalry.”

When the scribe clarified that he was referring to “standards, not rivalry,” the Indian skipper quipped nonchalantly.

“Sir, rivalry and standard are all the same. Now what is a rivalry? If two teams have played 15 matches and it’s 8-7, that’s a rivalry. Here it’s 13-1 (12-3) or something. There is no contest,” the Indian T20I captain said.

Pakistan last beat India in the 2022 Asia Cup and have since then gone on to lose seven straight men's international matches. Pakistani women too have not been dominated by their Indian counterparts. In fact, in T20Is, Pakistan have won just three times against India who have beaten their neighbours 12 times in the format.

Pakistan will now go up against Bangladesh in their second Super 4 clash on Tuesday while India will face Sri Lanka a day later.