Team India opened their Asia Cup Super 4 campaign with a bang as they thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan by six wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (September 21).

Chasing 172 to win, the Men in Blue rode on Abhishek Sharma’s 39-ball 74 and Shubman Gill’s 28-ball 47 to overhaul the target in 18.5 overs. Tilak Varma finished the job with an unbeaten knock of 30 in 19 balls.

The game was played under tense conditions following the handshake row in the group-stage, but India skipper Suryakumar Yadav focused on the on-field performance rather than outside noise.

Addressing the media after the win, Suryakumar downplayed the idea of a rivalry between two teams, citing the lop-sided affairs in India’s favour over the last few years.

“You guys should stop asking questions about the rivalry between India-Pakistan. According to me, if two teams play 15-20 matches, and if it is even, then it is a rivalry. 10-0, 10-1, I don't know what the stat is, but this is not a rivalry anymore. I think we played better cricket than them (Pakistan), and also from a bowling point of view,” Suryakumar told reporters, referring to India’s dominant head-to-head record in T20Is, which now stands at 12-3.

India’s fielding was not up to the mark as they dropped several catches during Pakistan’s innings, but the captain joked about the errors.

“I think the fielding coach has already emailed players whose hands had some butter on them. It’s good that this happened early on because we have more crucial games going forward,” he said.

Abhishek Sharma stole the show with his whirlwind knock in the chase, and Surya was effusive in praise of the left-handed opener.

“He is very selfless. He can bat in the same way after the powerplay. But he analyses it beautifully. He is learning every day.”

Commenting on the opening combination and Abhishek and Gill, Suryakumar said: "They are ice and fire. They complement each other very well."

He also explained the decision to bowl first after winning the toss: “When we played on the 14th, the wicket was better from the batting point of view. The wicket has improved.”

India’s bowling effort was also acknowledged by the captain, especially Shivam Dube’s game-changing spell (2-33 in 4 overs) after Pakistani batters dominated the first 10 overs.

“Shivam Dube’s spell was the turning point. He bowled his entire quota and he was very happy,” Suryakumar remarked.