‘What Rivalry’? SKY Laughs Off Questions On IND vs PAK Match

IND vs PAK: Will India continue their no-handshake decision against Pakistan when the two archrivals clash on Sunday in Dubai for their Super 4 encounter as the Asia Cup intensifies? How are the India captain Suryakumar Yadav and his players dealing with social media chatter following the controversy in the IND vs PAK match last Sunday? What does he think of the present-day India vs Pakistan rivalry?

The Indian skipper was once again in a jovial mood when he attended the pre-match press conference on Saturday in Dubai, tackling the serious questions with his characteristic charm and charisma.

India topped Group A, and Pakistan came in second, both teams progressing through to the Super 4 round, while from Group B, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will continue their journey in the Asia Cup.

The Super 4 round will commence on Saturday with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh going head-on, and on Sunday, it will be round two of IND vs PAK in this year’s Asia Cup.

Their group game, which was emphatically won by India, was marred by the no-handshake controversy as India avoided shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts, leading to the PCB going after match referee Andy Pycroft in what followed were days of drama.

With the dust not entirely settled yet, the two historic rivals will collide once again, this time with the stakes getting higher.

IND vs PAK Super 4: Will Suryakumar Yadav and India continue the no-handshake with Pakistan?

In the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar deflected the handshake question completely. When asked whether India would keep on with their no-handshake decision in the Super 4 match against Pakistan, the Indian captain replied, “There is a good contest of ball and bat. There is also a contest of good intensity. As I said in the last question, the stadium is full and you get the best crowd to support you.”

Suryakumar, who has been a constant in India’s T20I team since his debut in 2021, has been part of six IND vs PAK T20I matches. In his five previous innings, he had not crossed 20 even once, but in the group game, Suryakumar scored a timely-needed 47*.

When asked if he felt the intensity of the India vs Pakistan rivalry has changed when compared to the era of the 2000s, Suryakumar laughed it off.

“If we talk about rivalry, I don’t know what kind of rivalry you are talking about. After going on the ground, I feel that the stadium is full. And when the stadium is full, I tell my team and everyone that it is time for entertainment,” he said.

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