New Delhi: India, led by Surya Kumar Yadav, continued their dominance over Pakistan in the T20 Asia Cup, defeating them by six wickets in the Super 4 match in Dubai on Sunday night. This followed their seven-wicket win over Pakistan in the group stage just a week earlier.
After the match, Surya Kumar dismissed the notion of the India-Pakistan cricket encounter being a true rivalry, citing India’s consistent superiority. “We should stop calling India-Pakistan matches a rivalry. Standards define a rivalry. If two teams play 15–20 matches and one wins seven or eight, then you can call it a rivalry. Here, the score is 13–1. Truthfully, there is no contest anymore between India and Pakistan,” he said.
Surya praised the batting partnership of Shubman Gill and Abhishek, calling it “a combination of fire and ice” that worked in perfect sync while chasing Pakistan’s total.
On the decisive moment of the match, Surya credited Shivam Dube’s spell during the mid-innings break. “After the drink break, our team’s body language changed. Our bowlers adjusted their line and length, the spinners bowled brilliantly, and Shivam Dube’s performance turned the game in our favor,” he explained.
Dube, playing his 38th T20 international, bowled his full quota of four overs for the first time, taking crucial wickets of Sam Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan, breaking their 72-run second-wicket partnership. Surya highlighted Dube’s preparation in practice sessions, noting his sharp planning and execution.
Pakistan captain Salman Aga acknowledged India’s dominance in the powerplay, stating, “India snatched the match from us in the powerplay. After scoring 91 runs in the first ten overs, we could have added only 15 more. Rauf and Faheem bowled well. Now our focus is on the Super 4 match against Sri Lanka.”
India’s commanding performance reaffirmed their superiority over their traditional rivals, with Surya Kumar’s leadership and Shivam Dube’s bowling proving pivotal.
