Arch-rivals Pakistan and India are set to face off in the T20 World Cup in New York on Sunday, marking their 13th clash in the shortest format. Their most recent showdown in T20Is was at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne, where India emerged victorious in a thrilling finish, thanks to Virat Kohli’s incredible 82-run knock in the 160-run chase. Overall, the two sides last met at the ODI World Cup last year, where India won fairly easily in Ahmedabad.
India have historically dominated the T20 encounters against Pakistan, leading the head-to-head with nine wins to Pakistan’s three. However, the competition has intensified recently, with the honours evenly split in their last four matches.
As the cricketing world gears up for another thrilling chapter in this storied rivalry, it’s a fitting moment to reflect on some of the most memorable India-Pakistan T20 matches.
The first-ever T20 clash between the two sides at Durban in 2007 ended in a thrilling tie, ultimately decided by a bowl-out. In the group stage of the inaugural World T20, Pakistan chose to field and successfully restricted India to 141-9. With the scores tied at the end of Pakistan’s innings, India captain MS Dhoni made a strategic move by selecting spinners – including part-timers – for the bowl-out, a decision that paid off handsomely.
Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, and Harbhajan Singh all hit the stumps, while Pakistan’s frontline bowlers, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, and Shahid Afridi, missed their targets. This marked the only instance a World Cup match was settled by a bowl-out, a method which was later replaced by the Super Over.
India and Pakistan faced off again in the final in Johannesburg, marking their only meeting in the tournament’s final so far. Pakistan, chasing 158, saw wickets tumble regularly but remained in the hunt thanks to Misbah-ul-Haq’s resilient batting.
Needing 13 runs in the final over against the Joginder Sharma, Misbah struck a six following a wide and a dot ball, leaving six needed from four deliveries. However, his attempt at a scoop shot resulted in more height than distance, with the ball landing in the hands of Sreesanth at short fine-leg.
Shaheen Afridi’s first spell in this game is remembered to this date, such was its impact. The tall left-arm fast bowler dismissed opener Rohit Sharma for a first-ball duck and disrupted the Indian top-order, finishing with impressive figures of 3-31. Despite Virat Kohli’s efforts to stabilise the innings with a resilient 57, he, too, fell to Shaheen in the penultimate over.
Chasing the target, Mohammad Rizwan scored an unbeaten 79 while skipper Babar Azam contributed 68, leading Pakistan to a commanding 10-wicket victory. This remarkable win marked Pakistan’s first-ever World Cup triumph against their arch-rivals.
Pakistan faced India once again after their group-stage defeat, but the result for different this time. India, powered by Virat Kohli’s impressive 60, set a target of 181-7. However, their total could have been higher if not for the disciplined efforts of Pakistan spinners Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan. Nawaz was particularly economical, returning figures of 1-25.
Pakistan’s chase was bolstered by Nawaz’s all-round performance. He hammered a quickfire 42 off just 20 balls, guiding his team to a thrilling five-wicket victory with one ball to spare.
The most recent clash between the two sides wasperhaps the most dramatic of all, simply because of Team India’s comeback after an incredibly difficult situation in its run-chase.
Pakistan set a target of 159-8 and then put India under significant pressure at 31-4. However, Virat Kohli delivered an extraordinary performance with an unbeaten 82 off 53 balls, forming a crucial 113-run partnership with Hardik Pandya. With 31 needed from the final 12 balls, Kohli’s two sixes off Haris Rauf in the 19th overturned the tide, leading India to a dramatic four-wicket victory on the final ball.
