‘Stop calling India-Pakistan matches rivalry’: Suryakumar Yadav after team’s six-wicket win in Asia Cup

The contests between India and Pakistan can never be called a rivalry, skipper Suryakumar Yadav said on Sunday after his side’s thumping six-wicket win in the Asia Cup Super 4 match in Dubai.

Yadav’s remark, made at the post-match press briefing, was in response to a question by a senior Pakistani journalist who asked if the gulf in standards between the two sides had grown too wide.

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

When the scribe clarified that he was referring to standard, not rivalry, the Indian captain quipped, saying both are the same.

“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,” he said.

India and Pakistan have played 15 T20I matches, with the defending world champions winning 12.

On Sunday, India won the Super 4 contest of the Asia Cup against Pakistan by six wickets, riding on opener Abhishek Sharma’s fiery knock of 74 off 39 balls.

India chased down the competitive target of 274 runs in 18.5 overs.

Tilak Varma (30 not out off 19 balls) and Hardik Pandya (7 not out), who finished the game in style, walked off the ground without shaking hands with opposition players in continuation of the No Handshake Policy.'