Suryakumar Yadav came up with a straight-forward response when asked about sending a message to Pakistan after India's historic win over United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their Asia Cup 2025 Group A clash on September 10. India started their Asia Cup 2025 campaign on a high as they registered a crushing nine-wicket win at the Dubai International stadium.
Suryakumar Yadav on India vs Pakistan's Asia Cup clash
The entire game lasted just 17.4 overs, with the Men in Blue chasing down the lowly 58-run target in a blistering 4.3 overs, setting a new record for India's fastest-ever run chase in terms of balls played. While an Indian victory was anticipated, the sheer brutality of their performance was unexpected. It's especially noteworthy given that just six days prior, the UAE had a relatively respectable loss to Pakistan by just 31 runs, making their collapse against India all the more shocking.
This dominant display has led many to question how Pakistan will fare against India in their highly anticipated match on September 14. If Pakistan could only manage a 31-run victory against a UAE team that just ended with a dismal net run rate of -10.483, it's hard to see how they will pose a significant threat to the Men in Blue.
The Indian team exudes confidence, and captain Suryakumar Yadav’s post-match comments reflected this. When asked by Sanjay Manjrekar if the thrashing of the UAE sent a message to Pakistan, Suryakumar simply replied:
"We all are excited, everyone wants to play a good game and we are really looking forward to it."
This is the response of a captain who is confident in his team's abilities. With only two losses in 15 matches under his leadership since the start of 2024, India has proven to be the best T20I team in the world. When they are playing at their best, it's difficult for any team to compete with them. Suryakumar had hinted at this aggressive approach a day earlier, while sitting next to Pakistan's captain Salman Ali Agha, suggesting that this level of performance is exactly what he expects from his side.
"(On the decision at the toss) Wanted to see how the wicket was playing, it was the same in the second innings as well. (On if they will get their entire match fee with this being an early finish) That we will talk about later (laughs). Clinical performance from the buys. Wanted good energy and attitude in the field and that carried over into the batting. Recently, a lot of boys were here during the Champions Trophy. It (the pitch) looked good but it looked on the slower side. It is very hot here, so thought spinners might have a bit more dominance, but nice support shown by Hardik, Bumrah and Dube. (On Abhishek) He is a phenomenal batter and that is the reason he is the world number one (batter) right now. He keeps the team first, irrespective of the score, and that is unbelievable from him. (On sending a message to Pakistan with this performance)," Suryakumar conclude.