Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Agha (Image credit: ACC) NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has sparked a fresh debate on the India-Pakistan rivalry, saying their potential absence from the T20 World Cup group stage is “no big deal” as the match no longer lives up to its historical hype. His remarks come against the backdrop of the Pakistan government’s decision to boycott the marquee match scheduled for February 15.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Manjrekar claimed on Instagram that the competitive gap between the two sides has widened to the point where the rivalry lacks the edge it once carried. “The India-Pakistan match, if it doesn’t happen, it’s no big deal. To be honest, the actual game has never lived up to the hype and drama we’ve created before the match for a long time now,” he said.
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The former batsman added that India and Pakistan are “no longer in the same league” and claimed that the recent encounters were one-sided. “Now when India beat Pakistan, it’s almost like India beating minnows. You used to feel good about beating Pakistan,” he remarked, pointing to what he described as a decline in Pakistan cricket compared to the strong influx of young talent in India.Manjrekar also referred to the Asia Cup, suggesting that the difference between the two systems is “the difference between earth and heaven”. According to him, high-quality competitions are now coming for India against teams like Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa – sides that really test the standards of the team.Also read: Samson’s snap opens the door for Kishan to storm India’s T20 World Cup plansThe comments follow Pakistan’s announcement via a post on X that its men’s team “will not be taking the field” against India at the World Cup, without giving reasons. Pakistan are in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA.Despite the political tension surrounding the match, Manjrekar insisted that the value of the tournament would remain intact. “If India-Pakistan doesn’t happen at this world event, it’s not a big deal… it’s a non-event and it won’t detract from the value of the tournament,” he said.
