NEW DELHI: As India and Pakistan gear up for their much-anticipated Asia Cup 2025 clash in Dubai on Sunday, former India cricketer Yograj Singh has poured cold water on any expectations of a tight contest. According to him, Pakistan simply lacks the resources and mentality to match up to India on the cricket field.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking to ANI, Yograj was blunt in his assessment: “As far as Pakistan is concerned, what will it do? It cannot compete with India. Since the IPL came to India, Indian players have become very big. Why? To get money. There is money here. It is a good thing. There should be money. Why not? Players should get money. Where there is money, there is prosperity.”Yograj attributed India’s rise in world cricket to the platform provided by the Indian Premier League (IPL), which not only exposes players to top-class competition but also secures their financial future. He contrasted this with Pakistan’s lack of a similar structure, using a metaphor to underline the gulf: “There is no match between Pakistan and India. It is not possible. Because the platform they play on is clay. And the sky is where we play cricket. The sky and the ground have never met. It is not possible.”
Pakistan, who recently won the T20I Tri-Series final against Afghanistan, continue to struggle with inconsistency in batting — a factor that has haunted them against stronger opposition. Yograj believes the team’s mindset must change if they are to progress. “I think Pakistan should develop its own team and its own people. Just like we think about our players, Pakistan should also think about them. Imran Khan brought players who were struggling with poverty and backed them to play. That is why they won the World Cup. They need a thought process like Imran Khan,” he said.
