India captain Suryakumar Yadav is not paying much attention to the hype around the India-Pakistan rivalry as his team prepares for their Asia Cup Super 4 opener on September 21. He said the focus is on entertaining the fans on the field rather than getting involved in off-field talk.
In the group stage, India had beaten Pakistan by seven wickets, with Kuldeep Yadav taking 3 for 18 and Suryakumar scoring an unbeaten 47 from 37 balls. That win, however, had some controversy after Suryakumar skipped the handshake with Salman Ali Agha at the toss, and the Indian team also avoided handshakes after the match.
Speaking ahead of the next clash, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav made it clear he did not want to add to the drama. He said he doesn’t know what rivalry people are talking about, and for him, a full stadium means it’s time for entertainment.
“I don’t know what rivalry you are talking about. I just feel that the stadium is full, and when the stadium is full, I tell my team and everyone that it’s time for entertainment and people have come to watch the match. Let’s play some good brand of cricket,” Suryakumar Yadav said.
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India is the most successful team in Asia Cup history, having won eight titles. Pakistan, by contrast, have won the tournament only twice. In Asia Cup head-to-heads, India lead 11-6 from 20 matches, with three games ending without a result. In overall T20Is, India have dominated Pakistan 11-3 in 14 matches, including a narrow six-run win in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
In the 2025 Asia Cup, India have been playing very well, winning all three of their group-stage matches. Their hardest match was against Oman, but they still won by 21 runs and finished first in the group.
Pakistan, meanwhile, have been inconsistent. They began with an easy win over Oman but struggled against India and narrowly beat UAE. Their batting has looked unsettled.
Given the current form of both teams, India clearly have the upper hand over Pakistan heading into the clash.
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