New Delhi: There is not much to talk about the India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 match, other than the batting of India openers (Abhishek Sharma & Shubman Gill) and the silly antics on display by the Pakistani cricketers. Suryakumar Yadav’s post-match comments about the IND-PAK rivalry, rather the lack of it, would have acted like salt to Pakistani wounds, but as harsh as the Indian captain’s words might sound, it is the truth.
The six-wicket loss in Dubai on Sunday was Pakistan’s seventh successive defeat to India in white-ball cricket. The winning streak, which started at the 2022 T20 World Cup when Virat Kohli scored an epic 82 not out to power India to a 160-run target from a losing situation in Melbourne, doesn’t look like breaking anytime soon.
The gulf between the two sides is widening with every match. While Pakistan produced a much better display in the Super 4 clash than the group game a week ago, it was still not good enough to test the Indians. On a day when India dropped four catches and Jasprit Bumrah endured his worst bowling figures in powerplay in T20I cricket, Pakistan still found a way to lose the match.
Still not over the no-handshake controversy, Pakistan cricket, clearly, is more focused on non-cricketing things and hence shooting itself in the foot.
Pakistan’s distracting off-field antics
The lack of focus on the game has hurt Pakistan badly in the Asia Cup 2025. If the handshake snub in the group game dominated the headlines eight days ago, unnecessary and silly gestures by Pakistani cricketers attracted more attention than their game in the Super 4 stage on Sunday.
The biggest example, perhaps, was Sahibzada Farhan, who batted beautifully for his half-century, but just when his team needed him to carry on, he lost the plot by putting more focus on machine-gun celebrations than batting through the innings. While his fifty, which he scored after getting a pair of lifelines, set the platform, his wicket at the crucial juncture of the match turned the tide in India’s favour.
Had he not lost his focus and carried on, Pakistan may well have posted a match-winning total.
During the bowling, it was Haris Rauf who lost focus and let the silliness get the better of him when his team needed his fiery, angry avatar. Rattled after being hit by the Indian batters all across the park, Rauf reacted by showing six fingers and showing the fighter jet gesture to provoke the Indian fans.
When all he should have done was to go back to his mark, focus on the next ball and let the ball do the talking, he chose to get distracted. By getting riled up unnecessarily, Rauf didn’t just let the needless things impact his performance but also let his team down with a below-par display.
It all started with the no-handshake controversy on September 14, when Surya chose not to exchange pleasantries with his Pakistani counterparts. What followed was a week of antics, theatrics, threats, meltdowns and eventually an embarrassing U-turn.
The widening skill gap between India and Pakistan
While India, the other team involved in the controversy, have gone about their business by doing their cricket, doing the talking, staying laser-focused on their campaign. Pakistan, on the other hand, have been busy cancelling pre-match press conferences, more worried about getting revenge for the handshake snub.
Their cricketing skills, whatever little they have displayed over the last week or so, have been overshadowed by the antics and shenanigans.
How can the players perform at their best when there is so much focus on non-cricketing things?
Also, how do players feel secure or get confidence if there is no stability? Half a dozen coaches – some of them World Cup winners, or highly respected around the world – in the last three years, some sacked without explanation. Musical chairs with captains. The entire environment is a cesspool.
All is not lost for Pakistan, though. With two matches to go in the Super 4, the Men in Green still have a chance to qualify for the final. But for that to happen, they need to stop being obsessive about India, stop the theatrics and just get back to the drawing board, focus on training and turn up to play cricket on match day.