The ongoing tensions between the BCCI and PCB have taken another twist, with Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan publicly agreeing with India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav’s bold statement that the famed India-Pakistan cricket rivalry no longer exists.
The comment comes amid the Asia Cup trophy controversy, where Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), did not hand over the 2025 Asia Cup trophy to Team India after their title win. India reportedly refused to receive the trophy from Naqvi, leaving it behind in Dubai’s ACC office. The BCCI has since written to the ICC, but no resolution has been reached.
Azam Khan backs Suryakumar’s view
During a recent Crickwick podcast, Azam admitted that Suryakumar’s assessment holds merit.
“If you see ICC tournaments, technically he is correct,” Azam said.
Earlier this year, Suryakumar Yadav had dismissed the notion of an intense rivalry between the two sides, saying:
“If the scoreline is 10-1 or 13-0 — I don’t know the exact number — this is not a rivalry anymore.”
The remark was initially shrugged off by Shaheen Afridi, who promised Pakistan would “show the difference” if the sides met in the Asia Cup final. But the prediction backfired as India went on to win the tournament convincingly.
India’s dominance in ICC events
The numbers back Suryakumar’s claim. India has won 17 out of 22 ICC clashes against Pakistan, losing only four. Their dominance has stretched across formats, including bilateral contests.
India vs Pakistan in ICC events
| Matches | Won by India | Won by Pakistan | Tied |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 17 | 4 | 1 |
Recent head-to-head record
India has won 8 of the last 10 meetings between the two sides, losing just once since 2022.
| Result | Margin | Format | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India lost | 5 wickets | T20I | Dubai | 4 Sep 2022 |
| India won | 4 wickets | T20I | Melbourne | 23 Oct 2022 |
| No result | – | ODI | Pallekele | 2 Sep 2023 |
| India won | 228 runs | ODI | Colombo | 10 Sep 2023 |
| India won | 7 wickets | ODI | Ahmedabad | 14 Oct 2023 |
| India won | 6 runs | T20I | New York | 9 Jun 2024 |
| India won | 6 wickets | ODI | Dubai | 23 Feb 2025 |
| India won | 7 wickets | T20I | Dubai | 14 Sep 2025 |
| India won | 6 wickets | T20I | Dubai | 21 Sep 2025 |
| India won | 5 wickets | T20I | Dubai | 28 Sep 2025 |
With India’s sustained supremacy and Pakistan’s decline in key tournaments, even former players and now Azam himself admit — the rivalry has become one-sided.
