Mumbai: Indian cricket sensation Suryakumar Yadav once again took a pointed jab at Pakistan ahead of the India-Pakistan Women’s World Cup 2025 encounter on Sunday, dismissing the notion of a cricketing rivalry between the two nations. The 35-year-old Indian men's T20I captain emphasized that India’s consistent dominance over Pakistan in both men’s and women’s cricket undermines the very idea of a “rivalry.”
Speaking to Star Sports, Suryakumar highlighted India’s unblemished record in Women’s ODIs against Pakistan, stating, “If you talk about rivalry, it’s when two teams play 12 games and the score is 6-6 or 7-5. But 11-0 is not a rivalry. Pakistan hasn’t been able to beat us in recent times, in men’s or women’s cricket. If the women focus completely on their game, I’m sure they can make it 12-0.”
He further praised the progress of women’s cricket over the past few years but maintained that India’s consistent victories have tilted the balance heavily. “Women’s cricket has been playing a different brand of cricket over the last couple of years. They’re performing really well. But against Pakistan, if they continue like this and stay fully focused, I’m sure mission 12-0 is possible,” he said, exuding confidence in the Indian women’s team.
This is not the first time Suryakumar has drawn attention for his bold remarks against Pakistan. During the Asia Cup 2025, India defeated Pakistan three times, including a decisive victory in the final. When questioned by a senior Pakistani journalist about whether the performance gap between the two sides had widened too far, Suryakumar responded with a mix of wit and seriousness: “Sir, my request is that we should now stop calling India vs Pakistan matches a rivalry. 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 or something. There is no contest.”
Suryakumar’s comments have reignited discussions on the psychological edge India holds over Pakistan in cricket, particularly in high-profile encounters. As both men’s and women’s teams continue to dominate, the narrative of a “fierce rivalry” seems increasingly symbolic rather than reflective of on-field results.
With the Women’s World Cup clash imminent, all eyes will be on the Indian side to see if they can extend their unbeaten streak against Pakistan to 12-0, reinforcing Suryakumar’s provocative claims ahead of Sunday’s high-voltage encounter.