Bopara offered a candid view on the Ind–Pak cricket rivalry, saying the Men in Blue no longer consider Pakistan a serious challenge.
Bopara: India No Longer Views Pakistan as a Major Cricketing Threat
Former England opener Ravi Bopara boldly claimed that Team India has stopped seeing Pak as a significant threat on the cricket field. The Men in Blue recently stamped their authority over Pakistan three times in just two weeks during the Asia Cup. On paper, Pakistan never seemed to match the level of Suryakumar Yadav and his team, who dominated across every department — a superiority clearly reflected on the field. Pakistan’s only real resistance came briefly with the ball in the final, but India proved too strong yet again.
Bopara shared his sharp perspective on the Ind–Pak dynamic, emphasizing that Pak no longer ranks among India’s genuine cricketing challenges. Speaking on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, the ex-England opener said:
“I don’t think India see Pakistan as a major threat. They might see England, they might see Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. Pakistan will be at the bottom of that list. The rivalry will be up there, but in terms of them having a team chat, they’re saying listen guys, let’s not take it too lightly today, just make sure we bury them. I’m sure that’s the sort of language that would be spoken in that dressing room.”
“’Pakistan are not going to outskill India”
Ravi Bopara made it clear that Pakistan cannot outskill India, suggesting their strategy often depends on one player delivering a standout performance — a stark contrast to the collective strength of the Men in Blue.
The former England all-rounder highlighted how India’s dominance has forced their arch-rivals to pin hopes on individual players like Fakhar Zaman for rare match-winning performances.
“They’re thinking Fakhar Zaman, please have a day out, and it is a shame. There are a lot of people playing cricket in Pakistan and they just haven’t been able to get over the line against India,” he concluded.