If you didn’t start watching cricket yesterday, you knew there would be no thriller. The Asia Cup 2025 The clash between India and Pakistan has released exactly what promised: One -sided Snoozefest. The gap between the two teams in the T20is was laid. India joined Pakistan for 127 and reached the target for only 15.5 exceeding. Pakistan turned to the F1 race with Bullock. Their cricket, rooted in the past era, simply could not concern India.
There was almost no hype before the competition. Few talked about SHUBMAN GILL versus Shaheen Shah Afridi or Indian Spinners against Pakistan. Instead, the shakes were spinning around boycott calls and falling from the April terrorist attack Pahalgam. Former crickets, politicians and fans were considered and urged India to skip the match. Those who watched did not expect anything but a routine victory for India.
And that’s exactly what they got. One team looked fearless, ruthless, ready to dominate. The second looked shy, hesitant, lacked clarity and belief. Cricket hardly mattered. The real story was outside the bat. The challenges of boycott seemed that the Pakistani team did not even appear on Sunday. Indian doughs leave after Target vs Pakistan. (AP photo)
Drama outside the field more fun
Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake his hands with Pakistan Captain Salman Agha for throwing. At the end of India, the usual handshake skipped after the match and let Pakistani players wait along the border. The detected AGHA did not appear for the presentation after the match.
Suryakumar prevented his actions and insisted that some things in life were greater than sports behavior. Pakistani coach Mike Hesson admitted that his players were disappointed and confirmed that Agha’s absence was the “flow” of the effect of the former wedding.
If we could just quickly forward a live television broadcast, many would skip directly from throwing into the drama after the match. Suryakumar and Hesson press conferences were much more fun than 35.5 overs. India refused to shake her hand with Pakistan. (AP photo)
For the first time in the years, India vs Pakistan was not sold out. Melbourne Cricket Ground with its capacity of 100,000 seats in 2022 packed the whole house. Dubai, with just a quarter of 25,000 seats, was only 75 percent full. The sale of tickets was unusually slow and few had difficulty blocking their calendars, cancel plans or stay back into the competition, the IS transmitters who hardly push their promo.
Many decided to travel to Dubai. On the social media, the boycott calls louder. Although it was clear that the match would continue, many decided. Several fans and popular cricket sites said they were boycotting in the game while the men in blue continued.
Yes, the public sentiment after one of the most intense conflicts in the year contributed to a lack of interest, but it is unfair not to place the fingers on the real culprit – Pakistani quality. Boycott or not, India vs Pakistan’s rivalry no longer commands hype, ticket prices or attention she once made.
One constant has long been true: Whenever India and Pakistan meet, people watch. The rivalry brought some of the largest cricket broadcasters, which often competed with the best sports events in the world. However, Sunday’s turnout and viewers suggest that even this once -irrelevant draw is starting to disappear.
The cricultural quality slipped. Pakistan is no longer unforeseen challenges; They are predictably substandard. The matches became the more one -sided. From the Trophy 2024 Champions to the World Cup T20 2024 and the World Cup ODI 2023, Pakistan fought again and again – and Sunday did not differ.
The Persian Gulf is expanding. India, which develops from Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid to Suryakumar Yadav-Gautam Gambhir, plays a fearless cricket white balls and produces stars ready to be taken over. Pakistan, drowning by captain and coaching of musical chairs, lagging behind. Cosmetic changes were made, but none was worthwhile. Empty stands behind Hardik Pandya in Asia Cup. (AP photo)
Hammer in Dubai
Sunday was proof of it. Pakistan, who feared the inevitable, lost a plot. Four years ago, in the same place in Dubai, they won throwing and decided on a bowl, sticking to their strengths – and it paid off with a famous victory. On Sunday, they were all shocked by winning the throwing and decided to bat, went against their instincts – and that was spectacularly falling off. None of their pastures looked comfortable against Indian spinners, and even older players like Salman Agha were forced to dance to the fold.
“They simply can’t read the Kuldeep,” Bemoaned Wasim Akram on broadcasting.
Pakistan stirred up and inflated to 127, largely thanks to the 33-run portrait from the tail of Shaheen Shah Afridi. More than half of their shifts – 63 balls – were dot balls. He lacked the plan. The dough disintegrated under pressure and gave goals with ruthless shots.
With a ball, shaheen, their leading sailor, the fearless Abhishek Sharma, reflecting a huge gap in attitude, dismantled. Saim Ayub, a part -time spinner, was the most impressive pacifier of Pakistan, while Shaheen, tail, was their only remarkable body. That alone told a story.
The analysis after the match repeated the same topics: India dominant, Pakistan disorganized, expansion of the Gulf. Even legends like Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavascar were supposed to add little new ones. The story was persistent: India triumphant, Pakistan stared at the abyss.
If nothing changes, India vs Pakistani rivalry of risk disappears into history. With the riots in Pakistan cricket and Indian world class T20 League, which spewed the stars prepared for global-real, the Persian Gulf will only expand. One day India vs Pakistani matches will see empty stalls – even without boycott calls.
Sunday was a reminder: rivalry still exists only in the name and the clock ticks for its glory.
– ends
Published:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
September 15, 2025
Tune
