After India defeated Pakistan by six wickets in their Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash, captain Suryakumar Yadav gave a bold statement. He suggested it was time to rethink calling these contests a genuine “rivalry.”

This was India’s second straight win over Pakistan in the tournament, having already outplayed them earlier in the group stage. For Suryakumar, the outcome highlighted the gap between the two sides.

His words carried weight — not just as a captain, but as a reflection of India’s dominance. By downplaying the idea of rivalry, he sent a clear message: the results themselves show where both teams stand in modern-day cricket.

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Indian Skipper Responds to India-Pakistan Rivalry:

When a senior Pakistani reporter questioned whether the gap in quality between the two teams had become too large, India’s skipper Suryakumar Yadav smiled before answering. His calm yet confident response reflected not only India’s dominance but also his composed leadership during the high-pressure Asia Cup clash. He said, “ Sir, my request is that we should now stop calling India vs Pakistan matches a rivalry.”

When the journalist specified he meant “standards, not rivalry,” Suryakumar responded with a playful grin. His witty comeback not only underlined India’s superiority on the field but also showed his ability to handle tricky questions with humor and confidence.

He further said, “ 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,” he quipped before walking out of the press conference room with a grin.”

Harbhajan Singh Shares his Opinion on this Arch-Rivalry:

Ex-India spinner Harbhajan Singh supported Suryakumar’s remarks with a humorous post on social media. Sharing a picture of Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma in a heated exchange with Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf, Harbhajan cleverly captioned it, adding his own lighthearted twist to the rivalry.

He wrote, “ The One Sided Rivalry 😂😂😂 Chak de India.”

The One Sided Rivalry 😂😂😂 Chak de India 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/5IpkSoeiQa

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) September 22, 2025

He went a step further by removing the word “Greatest” from the image, leaving only “Rivalry,” making a subtle yet pointed statement about the current state of the contest.

Recent meetings underline India’s clear dominance over Pakistan:

India’s dominance over Pakistan in T20 internationals is backed by numbers. Out of 15 encounters, India has claimed victory in 12, including an unbroken streak of seven wins across white-ball formats since the 2022 T20 World Cup.

The gap between the two sides has only grown wider. With Pakistan struggling after the retirement of key players, India’s well-settled squad continues to showcase consistency. Their earlier clash in this Asia Cup underlined the difference once again, as India chased down a modest target of 128 with ease, cruising to a seven-wicket win in the group stage.