Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi responded to Suryakumar Yadav’s remark on India-Pakistan not being a rivalry anymore. The Indian captain was asked to comment on whether Pakistan has improved their game in Super Fours compared to the group stage. Yadav subtly dismissed it and said that it wasn’t a rivalry as the stats were completely different.
“Standards and rivalry are the same,” Suryakumar Yadav said. “According to me, if two teams play 15-20 matches and if [head-to-head] it is 7-7 or 8-7, then that is called a rivalry. But 13-0, 10-1….I don’t know what the stats are. But this is not a rivalry anymore. But yeah, I feel we played better cricket than them.”
Following this remark, when Shaheen Shah Afridi was speaking to media he gave a guarded response to this and said: “That’s his view, let him say. When we meet (in the likely Asia Cup final on Sunday), we will see kya hai, kya nahi. Tab dekh lenge. We are here to win the Asia Cup and we will give our best effort for that,” Afridi said.
India has already reached the Asia Cup 2025 final after defeating Bangladesh by 41-runs. The Men in Blue remain unbeaten and will be waiting for the other team to join in the finals. Pakistan on the other hands just needs another win to secure a spot in the final. If this happens then India-Pakistan will be set for a match in Asia Cup 2025 final for the first time ever.
