India vs Pakistan Cricket Rivalry
Few cricket fixtures attract attention like India against Pakistan.
A normal international match already carries pressure. When India and Pakistan meet, that pressure is multiplied by history, enormous television audiences, tournament consequences and the fact that the two teams now play each other relatively rarely.
That rarity has actually made the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry more intense.
For much of cricket history, the teams played Test series, ODI series and tours in each other’s countries. Today, normal bilateral cricket has largely disappeared. Most meetings take place in the Cricket World Cup, T20 World Cup, Champions Trophy, Asia Cup or another multinational competition.
As a result, one match can carry years of anticipation.
The rivalry began in 1952, when Pakistan toured India for its first Test series, only five years after Partition. India won that five-match series 2-1.
ICC — Pakistan v India: A Brief History
Since then, the rivalry has included Sachin Tendulkar facing Wasim Akram, Virender Sehwag attacking Shoaib Akhtar, Javed Miandad’s last-ball six in Sharjah, Anil Kumble taking all ten wickets in a Test innings, the 2007 T20 World Cup final, Pakistan’s stunning 2017 Champions Trophy victory and Virat Kohli’s extraordinary Melbourne innings in 2022.
The modern era has added another feature: India has become increasingly dominant in major tournament meetings, even though Pakistan still leads the historical head-to-head record in Tests and ODIs.
For readers learning how Test cricket, ODIs, T20Is, World Cups and tournaments work, The News Ink’s complete Cricket Guide provides the broader structure behind these contests.
India vs Pakistan Cricket Rivalry at a Glance
As of October 2026, the senior men’s teams have met 213 times across Tests, ODIs and T20Is.
| Format | Matches | India Wins | Pakistan Wins | Draw/Tie/No Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 59 | 9 | 12 | 38 |
| ODIs | 136 | 58 | 73 | 5 |
| T20Is | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 213 | 81 | 88 | 44 |
There is one statistical complication.
The first India-Pakistan T20I in 2007 finished tied before India won a bowl-out. Official scorecard-style records can therefore list the match as a tie, while some head-to-head summaries count the bowl-out result as an Indian win.
That is why some sources show India with 82 total wins instead of 81.
The larger picture does not change: Pakistan leads the historical overall record, while India has dominated the most recent phase of the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry.
1. The Rivalry Began in 1952
Pakistan became a Test-playing nation in 1952, and India hosted its first official Test series later that year.
The opening Test began in Delhi on October 16, 1952.
India won by an innings and 70 runs.
Pakistan responded strongly in Lucknow, winning the second Test by an innings and 43 runs.
India then won the third match in Bombay, while the final two Tests were drawn.
India therefore won the first series 2-1.
That opening contest established something that would become characteristic of the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry: even when political relations were difficult, cricket could create a direct connection between the two countries.
However, politics repeatedly interrupted that connection.
2. Wars Created Long Breaks in Cricket
India and Pakistan did not simply follow the normal home-and-away rhythm that developed between many major cricket nations.
Political conflict repeatedly stopped cricket.
After the early Test series of the 1950s and 1960-61, bilateral cricket disappeared for many years as relations deteriorated and the countries fought wars in 1965 and 1971.
The teams did not meet again in a bilateral series until 1978-79.
Academic research published by Cambridge University Press describes India-Pakistan cricket history as alternating periods of sporting connection and long political ruptures.
Cambridge University Press — India-Pakistan Cricketing Relations
This makes the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry fundamentally different from rivalries such as England-Australia.
The Ashes continues regularly because the two cricket boards maintain a stable bilateral relationship.
India-Pakistan cricket can disappear for years.
3. Pakistan Built an Early Historical Advantage
Fans who mainly remember recent ICC tournaments can be surprised by the overall statistics.
Pakistan historically leads India in both Tests and ODIs.
In Tests, Pakistan has won 12 compared with India’s nine.
In ODIs, Pakistan leads 73-58.
Much of that advantage was established during earlier decades when Pakistan possessed formidable teams featuring players such as:
Imran Khan;
Javed Miandad;
Wasim Akram;
Waqar Younis;
Saeed Anwar;
Inzamam-ul-Haq;
Shoaib Akhtar.
India also produced extraordinary players during those periods, but Pakistan enjoyed significant success in one-day cricket.
This historical advantage is important because describing the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry only through recent World Cups produces an incomplete picture.
Pakistan leads the long-term ODI record.
India dominates many of the most visible modern tournament statistics.
Both facts are true.
4. Javed Miandad’s 1986 Six Became Part of Cricket Folklore
One of the rivalry’s most famous moments happened in Sharjah in 1986.
Pakistan needed four runs from the final delivery of the Austral-Asia Cup final against India.
Chetan Sharma bowled.
Javed Miandad hit the ball for six.
Pakistan won.
The finish became one of the defining moments of the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry, particularly for supporters who followed cricket during the 1980s.
Its importance extended beyond one trophy because Sharjah became a major neutral venue where India and Pakistan frequently met.
Political difficulties could limit bilateral tours, but neutral tournaments provided another way to continue the rivalry.
Sharjah therefore became deeply associated with India-Pakistan ODI cricket.
5. Sachin Tendulkar and Waqar Younis Debuted in the Same Test
Pakistan’s 1989-90 home series produced an extraordinary piece of cricket history.
A 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar made his Test debut for India.
Waqar Younis made his Test debut for Pakistan in the same match.
Both would become legends.
The series also created one of the early images associated with Tendulkar’s toughness. During the Sialkot Test, he was hit in the face by a Waqar delivery but continued batting and reached a half-century.
Over the following two decades, Tendulkar became one of the central figures in the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry.
His battles against:
Wasim Akram;
Waqar Younis;
Shoaib Akhtar;
Saqlain Mushtaq
became some of international cricket’s most anticipated contests.
6. The 1999 Chennai Test Showed the Rivalry at Its Best
Pakistan returned to India for Test cricket in 1999.
The first Test in Chennai became a classic.
India needed 271 to win.
Sachin Tendulkar scored 136 despite suffering back pain and pushed India close to victory.
Pakistan’s attack, including Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq, eventually completed a 12-run victory.
What happened afterward became almost as famous as the cricket.
The Chennai crowd applauded the Pakistani team.
In a rivalry frequently associated with political tension, the moment became an example of sporting respect.
The next Test in Delhi produced another historic performance when India’s Anil Kumble took all 10 Pakistani wickets in a single innings.
Only a tiny number of bowlers in Test history have achieved that feat.
The 1999 series showed why the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry does not need off-field controversy to be compelling.
The cricket itself can be extraordinary.
7. The Cricket World Cup Created a Completely Different Record
The men’s ODI World Cup tells a very different story from the overall ODI head-to-head.
India and Pakistan first met at the tournament in 1992.
India won.
India then won again in:
1996;
1999;
2003;
2011;
2015;
2019;
That created one of cricket’s most famous tournament streaks.
Pakistan had historically won more ODIs overall, yet India repeatedly won when the teams met at the 50-over World Cup.
The contrast became one of the defining statistical stories of the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry.
The 2011 meeting carried even greater importance because it was a World Cup semi-final.
8. The 2011 World Cup Semi-Final Became a Massive Event
India hosted Pakistan at Mohali on March 30, 2011.
The winner would reach the Cricket World Cup final.
Sachin Tendulkar scored 85 as India made 260 for nine.
Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz produced one of his best ODI bowling performances, taking five wickets.
Pakistan remained in the chase but eventually finished 29 runs short.
India advanced to the final and went on to defeat Sri Lanka in Mumbai to win the World Cup.
The match demonstrated how the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry can turn one tournament fixture into a cultural event followed by enormous audiences across South Asia and beyond.
ICC coverage has repeatedly ranked Mohali 2011 among the defining India-Pakistan tournament encounters.
ICC — India v Pakistan at ICC Events
9. Sachin Tendulkar’s 98 in 2003 Remains an Iconic World Cup Innings
Another famous World Cup contest came at Centurion in South Africa in 2003.
Pakistan scored 273 for seven, with Saeed Anwar making a century.
India then had to chase that target against a Pakistani attack featuring:
Wasim Akram;
Waqar Younis;
Shoaib Akhtar.
Tendulkar responded with 98 from 75 balls.
His upper-cut for six against Shoaib Akhtar became one of the most replayed shots in the rivalry’s history.
India eventually won by six wickets.
The match represented one of the classic ingredients of the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry: a great Indian batting lineup facing elite Pakistani fast bowling.
For decades, that contrast gave the fixture much of its tactical identity.
10. The First T20 World Cup Produced Two India-Pakistan Classics
The arrival of T20 cricket created an entirely new chapter.
India and Pakistan met twice at the inaugural men’s T20 World Cup in 2007.
The first match finished level on runs.
Under the tournament rules used at the time, the tie was decided through a bowl-out.
India won 3-0.
The teams then met again in the final in Johannesburg.
India made 157 for five, with Gautam Gambhir scoring 75.
Pakistan’s chase appeared almost lost before Misbah-ul-Haq brought his team back into contention.
Pakistan needed 13 runs from the final over with one wicket remaining.
Misbah hit Joginder Sharma for six.
Then he attempted a scoop shot.
Sreesanth caught it.
India won by five runs and became the first men’s T20 world champions.
Few tournament organizers could have imagined a more dramatic launch for the new format.
The 2007 final remains one of the central matches in the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry.
11. Pakistan Finally Broke India’s World Cup Streak in 2021
For years, Pakistan had never beaten India in either the men’s ODI World Cup or T20 World Cup.
That changed in Dubai in 2021.
Pakistan produced an almost perfect T20 performance.
Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul early before also removing Virat Kohli.
India finished on 151 for seven.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan then completed the chase without losing a wicket.
Pakistan won by 10 wickets.
It was Pakistan’s first victory over India in a men’s World Cup match.
That result made the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry statistically more balanced at global events, even though India continued to hold a strong tournament advantage overall.
12. Virat Kohli’s Melbourne Innings Became an Instant Classic
One year later, the teams met again at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne.
Pakistan made 159 for eight.
India then collapsed to 31 for four.
The chase looked close to finished.
Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya rebuilt the innings before Kohli produced one of the most remarkable finishes in T20 World Cup history.
He finished unbeaten on 82 from 53 balls.
The most famous moment came against Haris Rauf when Kohli hit a straight six from a difficult length late in the innings.
India eventually won from the final delivery.
ICC — India-Pakistan T20 World Cup History
The MCG match became one of the strongest examples of how the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry magnifies individual performances.
A great innings in an ordinary bilateral match can be remembered for years.
A great innings against Pakistan or India in a World Cup can become part of cricket history.
13. Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy Final Was One of Its Greatest Wins
If India owns many of the most famous World Cup victories, Pakistan has one enormous ICC final to answer with.
The 2017 Champions Trophy final at The Oval.
India entered the final after comfortably defeating Pakistan earlier in the tournament.
The rematch was completely different.
Fakhar Zaman scored 114.
Pakistan reached 338 for four.
Mohammad Amir then produced an extraordinary opening spell, dismissing:
Rohit Sharma;
Shikhar Dhawan;
Virat Kohli.
India never recovered.
Pakistan won by 180 runs and lifted the Champions Trophy for the first time.
The result remains one of Pakistan’s defining achievements in the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry.
It also illustrates why tournament records should never be treated as guarantees.
India entered with an excellent ICC record against Pakistan.
Pakistan delivered one of the biggest wins in a major ICC final.
14. The 2025 Champions Trophy Brought Another Major Meeting
The Champions Trophy returned in 2025.
Pakistan was the official host, but India’s matches were played in Dubai under the tournament’s agreed arrangements.
India and Pakistan met there on February 23.
Pakistan made 241.
India chased the target for the loss of four wickets.
Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 100 from 111 balls, becoming the central figure once again.
India won by six wickets.
ICC — India Beat Pakistan in Champions Trophy 2025
The result continued India’s strong recent run in the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry.
It was also another demonstration of Kohli’s exceptional record in high-pressure international matches.
15. India and Pakistan Met Three Times at the 2025 Asia Cup
The 2025 Asia Cup intensified the rivalry further because India and Pakistan met three times during the same tournament.
Their matches took place on:
September 14;
September 21;
September 28.
The final itself was India against Pakistan.
That tournament also demonstrated the difficulty of separating the rivalry completely from wider political tension. Several player actions and gestures became subjects of ICC disciplinary proceedings.
The ICC later announced sanctions involving players from both teams under its Code of Conduct.
ICC — Asia Cup 2025 Disciplinary Decisions
Those incidents reinforce an important point.
Players in the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry are not competing in an ordinary sporting environment.
Actions that might receive limited attention in another fixture can become international stories.
16. India Won the 2026 T20 World Cup Meeting by 61 Runs
The rivalry continued at the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup.
India and Pakistan met at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 15.
India scored 175 for seven.
Ishan Kishan produced the decisive innings, making 77 from 40 balls.
Pakistan was dismissed for 114 in 18 overs.
India won by 61 runs.
The victory extended India’s powerful recent T20 record against Pakistan.
It also helped India continue toward another successful tournament campaign.
For wider context on India’s 2026 tournament strength, The News Ink’s analysis of the England-India T20 World Cup semi-final examines how India’s batting depth and bowling helped carry the team through the knockout stages.
17. The Most Recent Senior Meeting Came at the 2026 Asian Games
As of October 2026, the latest senior men’s meeting occurred in the Asian Games final on October 3, 2026.
India made:
211 for six
Pakistan replied with:
192 for six
India won by 19 runs.
Pakistan’s Hasan Nawaz played a remarkable innings of 96 from 51 balls, but the target proved too large.
ICC — Pakistan vs India, Asian Games 2026 Final
That result brought the senior men’s T20I record to 18 meetings.
Using the ICC scorecard convention, India has 14 outright wins, Pakistan three, with the 2007 tied match separated because India won it through the historical bowl-out.
The result also continued India’s dominant recent period in the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry.
18. Why Don’t India and Pakistan Play Bilateral Cricket Anymore?
This is one of the biggest questions new cricket fans ask.
Most major cricket nations regularly tour one another.
India and Pakistan do not.
Their last full Test series was played in 2007-08.
Pakistan later returned to India for a short limited-overs bilateral tour in December 2012 and January 2013, featuring two T20Is and three ODIs.
Pakistan won the ODI series 2-1.
The T20I series finished 1-1.
Since then, the senior men’s teams have generally met only in multinational competitions.
Current Indian policy continues to separate bilateral sport from participation in multilateral international events. In May 2026, India’s sports ministry said Pakistani teams and athletes could participate in qualifying international events hosted in India while bilateral sporting competitions remained prohibited.
Reuters — India-Pakistan Bilateral Sports Policy
This distinction explains the strange modern structure of the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry.
The teams can meet at a World Cup.
They can meet in an Asia Cup.
They can meet at the Asian Games.
But organizing a normal India-Pakistan bilateral series remains politically difficult.
The News Ink’s report on the debate around Abrar Ahmed and Indian-linked franchise ownership provides additional context on how political sensitivities continue to influence cricket-related decisions involving players from both countries.
19. Why Rare Matches Make the Rivalry Even Bigger
Normally, frequent meetings can help normalize a sporting rivalry.
India-Pakistan works in the opposite way.
Because bilateral series do not occur regularly, fans may wait months or years between meaningful matches.
That creates enormous anticipation when tournament organizers place the teams in the same group.
A World Cup match can effectively become the only India-Pakistan contest available to fans during an entire season.
Scarcity increases attention.
That is one reason ICC tournaments regularly treat the match as a marquee fixture.
The India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry has effectively moved from bilateral cricket into tournament cricket.
That shift has changed how fans experience it.
Older generations remember five-Test tours and long ODI series.
Younger fans may primarily associate the rivalry with one high-pressure World Cup match.
20. Pakistan Still Leads the Historical ODI Record
Recent results can hide an important historical reality.
Pakistan still has more ODI victories over India overall.
The current record is:
Pakistan: 73 wins
India: 58 wins
Five matches produced no result.
Pakistan’s advantage was built largely during earlier eras when the team possessed some of the strongest fast-bowling attacks in international cricket.
Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis in particular created problems for almost every batting lineup of their generation.
Saeed Anwar also became one of Pakistan’s most successful ODI batters against India.
Recent India-Pakistan ODI meetings have looked quite different, but the historical record remains an important part of understanding the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry.
21. Pakistan Also Leads the Test Record
India and Pakistan have played 59 Tests.
Pakistan won 12.
India won nine.
Thirty-eight were drawn.
That very high number of draws partly reflects the style and conditions of earlier Test series.
More importantly, the Test record has effectively been frozen since 2007 because the countries have not resumed bilateral Test cricket.
That absence means an entire generation of major players never experienced an India-Pakistan Test series.
Virat Kohli, for example, built an enormous international career without playing a Test against Pakistan.
Babar Azam has never played a Test against India.
That is remarkable considering their status in modern cricket.
The News Ink’s coverage of England vs Pakistan Test cricket illustrates how much tactical depth a multi-match Test series can create.
An India-Pakistan Test series would offer a very different contest from a one-night World Cup meeting.
22. India Dominates the T20I Head-to-Head
T20 cricket tells the opposite story from the historical ODI record.
India has been significantly more successful.
As of October 2026:
18 T20Is played
India has 14 outright wins.
Pakistan has three.
One match finished tied before India won the 2007 bowl-out.
India has also won the most important early T20 encounter between the countries: the 2007 World Cup final.
Pakistan’s most famous T20 victory remains the 10-wicket win in Dubai in 2021.
The sharp difference between the ODI and T20 records shows how the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry has changed across generations.
23. The Rivalry Has Produced Extraordinary Fast Bowlers
Pakistan’s fast-bowling tradition is central to the rivalry.
Imran Khan.
Wasim Akram.
Waqar Younis.
Shoaib Akhtar.
Mohammad Amir.
Shaheen Shah Afridi.
India has responded across different eras with bowlers including:
Kapil Dev;
Javagal Srinath;
Zaheer Khan;
Mohammed Shami;
Jasprit Bumrah.
The contest between India’s batting and Pakistan’s pace has often been one of the rivalry’s strongest tactical themes.
Modern cricket is changing that balance because India now possesses one of the world’s deepest fast-bowling systems, while Pakistan continues producing high-pace talent.
Bumrah’s rise is particularly important because it means elite pace is no longer something Pakistan is assumed to possess more naturally in the rivalry.
24. Tendulkar, Kohli, Miandad and Babar Represent Different Eras
Certain players become strongly associated with an international rivalry because they repeatedly perform under its pressure.
For India, Sachin Tendulkar dominated much of the 1990s and 2000s narrative.
Virat Kohli became the defining Indian batter of the modern tournament era, producing important innings including:
82 not out at the 2022 T20 World Cup;
100 not out at the 2025 Champions Trophy.
For Pakistan, Javed Miandad’s name remains permanently linked to the Sharjah six.
Saeed Anwar produced numerous important ODI performances.
In the modern era, Babar Azam has carried enormous expectations as Pakistan’s leading batter.
His recent domestic form has also remained closely watched, including The News Ink’s coverage of Babar Azam’s PSL century.
Individual players change.
The pressure surrounding the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry remains.
25. Does India-Pakistan Cricket Put Too Much Pressure on Players?
Players from both countries have repeatedly described the unusual pressure of the fixture.
Every dismissal is examined.
Every dropped catch can become a national talking point.
Every captaincy decision is debated for days.
Social media has amplified that pressure.
A poor performance in another match might be forgotten quickly.
A poor India-Pakistan performance can follow a player for years.
This creates an unusual psychological challenge.
Players have to treat the contest as cricket while the environment around them often treats it as something much larger.
The best performances in the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry frequently come from players who remain calm enough to separate the occasion from the basic cricket problem in front of them.
Kohli’s 2022 innings is a good example.
India was 31 for four.
The atmosphere was enormous.
His immediate problem was still simple: rebuild the chase.
26. Why the Rivalry Matters So Much to Cricket
India and Pakistan contain two of the world’s largest cricket-following populations.
That alone makes the fixture commercially significant.
Broadcasters, sponsors, tournament organizers and venues know the match can attract exceptional attention.
But the rivalry matters for another reason.
It connects several generations of cricket history.
A fan can discuss:
Miandad in Sharjah;
Tendulkar at Centurion;
Kumble in Delhi;
Misbah in Johannesburg;
Amir at The Oval;
Kohli at Melbourne;
Kishan in Colombo.
These events happened across different formats and generations, yet they belong to the same sporting story.
That continuity is why the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry remains powerful even though the teams now play far less often than they once did.
India vs Pakistan: 12 Defining Moments
| Year | Match or Moment | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | First Test series | Beginning of the rivalry |
| 1986 | Miandad’s Sharjah six | One of cricket’s most famous finishes |
| 1989 | Tendulkar and Waqar debut | Two future legends begin together |
| 1999 | Chennai Test | Pakistan win thriller by 12 runs |
| 1999 | Kumble takes 10 wickets | Historic Test bowling performance |
| 2003 | Tendulkar’s 98 | Iconic World Cup chase |
| 2007 | T20 World Cup bowl-out | Extraordinary tied match |
| 2007 | T20 World Cup final | India win inaugural title |
| 2011 | World Cup semi-final | India advance and later become champions |
| 2017 | Champions Trophy final | Pakistan win by 180 runs |
| 2021 | Pakistan’s first World Cup win over India | Ten-wicket breakthrough |
| 2022 | Kohli’s Melbourne 82* | One of T20 cricket’s great chases |
More recent matches in 2025 and 2026 continue adding new chapters.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry begin?
The India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry began in 1952 when Pakistan toured India for its first Test series. India won the five-match series 2-1.
Who has won more India vs Pakistan matches?
Using official scorecard-style treatment of the 2007 tied T20I, Pakistan leads the senior men’s overall record with 88 wins compared with India’s 81 outright victories. Some summaries count India’s bowl-out victory as a win, giving India 82.
Who has won more India vs Pakistan ODIs?
Pakistan leads the ODI head-to-head with 73 wins compared with India’s 58.
Who leads India vs Pakistan Test cricket?
Pakistan has won 12 Tests against India, while India has won nine. Thirty-eight Tests ended in draws.
Who leads India vs Pakistan T20 cricket?
India has dominated the T20I rivalry, with 14 outright wins compared with Pakistan’s three as of October 2026. The 2007 tied match was won by India through a bowl-out.
Has Pakistan ever beaten India in a Cricket World Cup?
Pakistan has not yet beaten India in the men’s ODI Cricket World Cup. India has won all their meetings in that competition.
When did Pakistan first beat India in a World Cup?
Pakistan’s first men’s World Cup victory over India came at the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai, where Pakistan won by 10 wickets.
Who won the 2017 Champions Trophy final?
Pakistan defeated India by 180 runs at The Oval to win its first Champions Trophy title.
Who won India vs Pakistan at the 2025 Champions Trophy?
India won by six wickets in Dubai. Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten century.
Who won the 2026 T20 World Cup match?
India defeated Pakistan by 61 runs in Colombo on February 15, 2026. Ishan Kishan scored 77 from 40 balls.
What was the latest India vs Pakistan cricket result?
As of October 2026, the latest senior men’s match was the Asian Games final on October 3. India scored 211 for six and defeated Pakistan by 19 runs.
Why don’t India and Pakistan play Test series anymore?
Normal bilateral cricket has largely stopped because sporting relations are affected by broader political and security tensions between the two countries. Their last Test series was in 2007-08.
When was the last bilateral India-Pakistan cricket series?
Pakistan toured India for a limited-overs series in December 2012 and January 2013. Pakistan won the ODI series 2-1 and the T20 series finished 1-1.
Do India and Pakistan still play cricket against each other?
Yes. They continue to meet in multinational competitions such as ICC tournaments, the Asia Cup and Asian Games when the draw brings them together.
India vs Pakistan Cricket Rivalry Is Bigger Because It Became Rarer
The India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry has changed dramatically since 1952.
It began as conventional international cricket.
Teams toured each other’s countries.
They played Test series.
They played long ODI programs.
Fans could watch several India-Pakistan matches during one tour.
That world no longer exists.
Today, an India-Pakistan match is usually attached to a major tournament.
That has made each fixture feel larger.
There may be no second Test next week.
There may be no return ODI series three months later.
A World Cup meeting can be the match supporters wait years to see.
The historical statistics also make the rivalry more complicated than the modern narrative sometimes suggests.
Pakistan leads the long-term Test record.
Pakistan leads the ODI record.
India dominates T20Is.
India has an extraordinary record in men’s ODI World Cup meetings.
Pakistan owns one of the most emphatic victories in the rivalry’s history through the 2017 Champions Trophy final.
Each generation therefore remembers something different.
An older Pakistani supporter may remember Miandad’s six in Sharjah or Pakistan’s great fast-bowling teams.
An Indian supporter from another generation may remember Tendulkar’s 98 at Centurion.
A younger fan may think first of Mohammad Amir destroying India’s top order in 2017.
Another may remember Babar and Rizwan completing the 2021 chase without losing a wicket.
Millions now associate the fixture with Kohli’s 82 not out at Melbourne in 2022.
The latest generation has already seen India win major meetings in the 2025 Champions Trophy, 2025 Asia Cup, 2026 T20 World Cup and 2026 Asian Games.
That constant rewriting of the narrative is what keeps the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry alive.
Statistics can explain who has won more matches.
They cannot fully explain why the fixture matters.
The answer lies in rarity, history, sporting quality and the enormous importance cricket holds in both countries.
It also lies in the players.
Tendulkar still had to face Wasim.
Shoaib still had to bowl to Sehwag.
Kohli still had to solve Haris Rauf.
Babar still has to face Bumrah.
Once the first ball is delivered, history does not score the runs.
Players do.
That is why the greatest India-Pakistan matches are remembered not simply because of the countries involved, but because extraordinary cricketers produced extraordinary performances under unusually intense pressure.
The future of bilateral cricket remains uncertain.
Current policy still makes regular India-Pakistan home-and-away series difficult.
But whenever tournament schedules bring the teams together, the cricket world pays attention.
More than seven decades after the first Test in Delhi, the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry remains one of the rare sporting contests where a single match can connect cricket history, modern superstars, enormous audiences and generations of memories.
And because the teams now meet so rarely, the next match will almost certainly feel important long before the first ball is bowled.
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