Former India captain Sourav Ganguly feels that the cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan has diminished in intensity in recent years. During an event in Kolkata on Monday, after India’s commanding victory in the Asia Cup group-stage match, Ganguly asserted that Pakistan does not compare favorably to the present Indian team.
In the highly anticipated match on Sunday, September 14, Pakistan was thoroughly outperformed. They accumulated a mere 127 runs before India successfully pursued the goal in a mere 15.5 overs, rendering the match one-sided and unsatisfactory.
Upon reflection, Ganguly acknowledged that he lost interest in the match early and opted to watch the Premier League, where Manchester United faced Manchester City.
I am genuinely unperturbed by the occurrence. “I ceased viewing after the initial 15 overs and switched to the Manchester United versus Manchester City match,” Ganguly stated.
The former captain, who has participated in numerous legendary India-Pakistan encounters, stated that he now favors observing India compete against other formidable teams, such as Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka, or even Afghanistan, rather than Pakistan. He indicated that the rivalry has diminished in intensity over the previous five years due to Pakistan’s deteriorating performance.
With all due respect, Pakistan is no longer a formidable opponent for India. He stated this due to his observation of the kind of teams they formerly possessed, noting a distinct deficiency in quality presently.
The anticipation surrounding India vs. Pakistan has been persistently unsatisfactory for the past five years. It consistently results in a unilateral outcome. Ganguly expressed a preference for watching India compete against other formidable teams.
Ganguly underscored the necessity of addressing terrorism on a global scale, extending beyond the confines of India and Pakistan.
Terrorism must cease, not only in our region but worldwide. The primary concern is that. Sports must persist; nonetheless, terrorism must cease universally,” he said.
The Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan occurred following the Pahalgam terror assault and Operation Sindoor. The captain of India, Suryakumar Yadav, and his team declined to shake hands with the Pakistan team, which provoked the other side’s ire.
Pakistan has threatened to withdraw from the tournament if match referee Andy Pycroft, who officiated the IND vs PAK game, is not dismissed from the balance of the competition.
