Rivalries are the lifeblood of sport , yet the biggest talking points over the last few weeks centred around a contest that, the Indian T20I captain believes, ceased to be one a long time ago.

India’s near-complete dominance over Pakistan in both white-ball formats over the past decade or more – the neighbours last played a Test match against each other 18 years ago – has ensured that the excitement over an upcoming game is less about the sporting strengths and weaknesses of the two outfits than about geopolitical tensions, political overtones, celebratory gestures, and issues that go far beyond the field of play.

Hence, it was somehow fitting that even after India defeated Pakistan on the third successive Sunday to win the Asia Cup, they had no silverware to show for it. Mohsin Na

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