India-Pakistan Asia Cup match – Artifex.News

Asia Cup 2025 | Please don’t call India-Pakistan matches a rivalry: Suryakumar

admin — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 22:50:00 +0000

Suryakumar Yadav celebrates with teammates after the wicket of Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz during the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four match between India and Pakistan, in Dubai, UAE.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Having crushed Pakistan with consummate ease in the Asia Cup Super 4 match, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav on Sunday (September 21, 2025) urged everyone to stop calling the contests between the two nations a meaningful “rivalry.”

India and Pakistan have faced each other 15 times in T20Is, with the reigning world champions winning 12 of those encounters, and in the latest instance the Suryakumar-led side won by six wickets.

When a senior Pakistani journalist asked if the gulf in standards between the two sides had grown too wide, Suryakumar responded with a smile, “Sir, my request is that we should now stop calling India vs Pakistan matches a rivalry.”

When the scribe clarified that he was referring to “standards, not rivalry,” the Indian skipper quipped nonchalantly.

“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 said before walking out of the media conference room with a grin.

Published – September 22, 2025 04:20 am IST

Source link

BCCI is anti-national, says Shiv Sena (UBT)

admin — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 19:21:00 +0000

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray
| Photo Credit: PTI

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday (September 12, 2025) slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the India-Pakistan match slated for September 14 in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.

Seeking its boycott, he said, “We have told the whole world that Pakistan was behind the [Pahalgam] attack in India. And yet, we are now wanting to play with them.”

“Shame on BCCI for its anti-national and selfish behaviour,” he said and asked how “blood and cricket can flow together when blood and water can’t” (referring to India suspending the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack).

Questions BJP

He attacked the BJP and asked if the party had now changed its ideology.

“Pakistan, which has repeatedly launched attacks on our nation, spread terrorism in the nation, and killed innocent people in Pahalgam. Why is the BCCI so excited to play a match against Pakistan? Is this for TV revenue? For ad revenue? Pakistan decided to boycott the 2025 Men’s Hockey Asia Cup as the tournament was being hosted by India. Why can’t we also boycott? The BJP has changed its ideology. It is very unfortunate that we are playing a match with Pakistan. BCCI is anti-national,” he said.

Also Read: Should India continue to boycott cricket in Pakistan?

Calls for boycott

He also questioned the patriotism of the players. “Players can boycott, BCCI can boycott, broadcasters can boycott. Why aren’t they doing it? Those who are going to play need to ask how much of patriotism is alive in them,” he said.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has announced a ‘Sindoor Raksha Abhiyaan’ on September 14, when the party’s women’s wing will protest on the streets. “Later, sindoor will be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from lakhs of homes to remind him about the Pahalgam terrorist attack and that India should not play cricket with Pakistan,” party MP Sanjay Raut said.

Earlier, Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray had slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi “for allowing such a compromise of national pride”. He claimed that the match was being allowed since Jai Shah, son of union Home Minister Amit Shah, is the chairman of the International Cricket Council.

Published – September 13, 2025 12:51 am IST

Source link

Asia Cup 2023: Reserve day only for India-Pakistan Super 4s game causes an uproar

admin — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 09:42:51 +0000

K.L. Rahul attends a practice session head of the Asia Cup 2023 one-day international match against Pakistan on September 10.
| Photo Credit: AFP

It’s my bat, I will set the rules. The rule that’s been the mantra in gully cricket seems to have been adopted for the Asia Cup as well, with a reserve day having been added for only one of the six Super 4s matches — between India and Pakistan.

That a reserve day will be added for the marquee clash was being whispered ever since the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) decided against moving the remaining matches from Colombo to Hambantota. On Friday, a notification issued for ticket-holders confirmed the move.

“If adverse weather suspends play during the Pakistan vs India game, the match will continue on September 11 from the point it was suspended,” stated the advisory, issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the tournament host. “In such an eventuality, ticket-holders are advised to hold on to their match tickets which will remain valid and will be utilised for the reserve day.”

When the tournament fixtures were announced, only the final had a reserve day.

Moreover, only one game having a reserve day may result in undue advantage for both the teams should weather play spoilsport for most of the Super 4s.

A competitive tournament — irrespective of the discipline and the level, even amateurish — is always played with the same rules for all the teams involved. No wonder that the other two teams in the tournament — Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — are disturbed with the development.

However, the head coaches of both the camps preferred to be cautious, considering the might of the ACC — whose president Jay Shah is also the BCCI secretary and the PCB is the host. “I have not seen anything like this earlier. This is something new. It’s not ideal,” said Chandika Hathurusingha, the Bangladesh head coach, on Friday, ahead of his team’s clash against Sri Lanka.

“We would love to have an extra day as well. Other than that I don’t have much comment because they (technical committee) have made a decision. There is a technical committee (in Asia Cup) represented by every participating country. They might have decided it with some other reason.”

Chris Silverwood, Hathurasingha’s Sri Lanka counterpart, was a little more conservative. “Little surprised when I first heard, but at the same time we are not the organisers of the competition so not a lot we can do about that,” Silverwood said.

“To be honest, it will be a problem if the reserve day then provides points to the teams and not someone else, but nothing we can do about, so we keep preparing and do the best we can.”

The Hindu gathers that the ACC acceded to the broadcaster’s demand after declining to shift the event out of Colombo. While the fans can hope for a likelihood of a full game — or at least a result — due to the reserve day, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh camps will keep their fingers crossed that the reserve day doesn’t turn out to be decisive in deciding the finalists.

Source link