Suryakumar Yadav (Image credit: ACC)

NEW DELHI: India captain Suryakumar Yadav once again refrained from acknowledging Pakistan when asked about the arch-rivals following India’s narrow 21-run win over Oman in their final Group A match of the Asia Cup 2025 on Friday at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. With this victory, India topped Group A and will now face Pakistan in the first Super 4 clash at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!During the post-match presentation, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar asked Suryakumar directly about the upcoming match. The Indian skipper’s curt, four-word reply — “All set for Super Four” — indicated yet again that the team was avoiding publicly acknowledging their historic rivals.The move echoes the earlier controversy in the India-Pakistan group-stage clash, where Suryakumar refused to shake hands following India’s seven-wicket win in Dubai. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed complaints with the ICC, seeking the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft for allegedly failing to uphold the spirit of cricket. Suryakumar had dedicated that victory to the Indian Armed Forces, in solidarity with victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Reflecting on Oman, Suryakumar said: “Oman played an unbelievable brand of cricket. I knew with their coach, Sulu sir (Sulakshan Kulkarni), there would be khadoosness. It was amazing; I really enjoyed watching them bat.”He also addressed his unusual batting position: “Definitely I’ll try from next game (joking about batting higher than No.11). It’s a little difficult when you’re sitting and suddenly you come out and play (referring to Arshdeep and Harshit). It’s so humid here. Unfortunate how he got out but you can’t keep him away from the game (talking about Hardik Pandya). All set for Super Fours.”As the India-Pakistan showdown approaches, Suryakumar’s deliberate avoidance of naming Pakistan keeps the controversy alive, drawing global attention to Sunday’s high-stakes clash.