"If Pakistan Defeats India, It's An Upset...": Gautam Gambhir On Cricket Rivalry

The on-field rivalry between India and Pakistan is considered to be one of the intense battles in the world of cricket. The two teams have not played a bilateral series in around a decade due to political tensions and as a result, their matches in international or continental competitions are some of the most highly-anticipated encounters in the calendar. Last time when these two teams faced each other was in the Cricket World Cup 2023 and India were able to extend their unbeaten run against Pakistan in the tournament. Former India opener Gautam Gambhir believes that India are currently "far superior" in comparison to Pakistan and as a result, the balance in the rivalry is not same as earlier.

"Pakistan has dominated India a lot of times. Currently, if you see the level of both teams, India is far superior to Pakistan in all three formats. If Pakistan defeats India it's an upset, if India defeats Pakistan, it's very much given," Gambhir said on Star Sports.

India went unbeaten in the Cricket World Cup 2023 before they were eventually defeated by Australia in the final. Gambhir said that the rivalry between India and Australia has emerged as a top one in the recent past and he believes that it has even surpassed the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry.

"India and Australia, from a cricketing point of view, is a top rivalry. If you ask a cricket fan what is the actual rivalry, they will also say India and Australia," Gambhir added.

Gambhir is no stranger to controversies. Gambhir is well known for his fiery comments and straightforward analysis which sometimes leads to conversations on social media.

During a recent Q&A session on X (formerly Twitter), a fan ended up asking Gambhir why he makes such 'controversial statements'.