India vs Pakistan Cricket: A Timeline of National Team Encounters

The rivalry between India and Pakistan in cricket is one of the fiercest in sports. Matches between these two teams are regarded as among the biggest and most-watched sporting events globally.

India has clinched victory in 12 ICC tournaments, while Pakistan has won 5. At the senior level, India has secured 6 ICC trophies (including 2 Cricket World Cups, 2 T20 World Cups, and 2 Champions Trophies). In contrast, Pakistan has won 3 (including 1 Cricket World Cup, 1 T20 World Cup, and 1 Champions Trophy). In ICC World Cups, India has dominated Pakistan, winning 14 out of 15 matches, with Pakistan managing only one victory. The India National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team match scorecard displayed a riveting contest of skill and strategy on the cricket field.

The rivalry stems from the tense diplomatic relations between the two nations, which originated during the Partition of British India in 1947, followed by the Indo-Pakistani Wars and the Kashmir conflict. These historical tensions have fueled a fierce sporting rivalry despite sharing a common cricketing heritage.

India and Pakistan first faced off in 1952 during Pakistan’s tour of India. Since then, they have played Test matches and, later, limited-overs series. However, political factors have often led to cancellations or postponements of planned tours. Cricketing ties were halted between 1962 and 1977 due to the wars in 1965 and 1971. Similarly, conflicts such as the 1999 Kargil War and the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks have also disrupted cricket matches between the two nations.

Due to large expatriate populations from both countries worldwide, neutral venues like the United Arab Emirates and Canada have hosted bilateral and multilateral One Day International (ODI) series involving India and Pakistan. Matches between the teams in ICC competitions draw enormous interest, with over 800,000 ticket applications made for their 2019 Cricket World Cup encounter. The television broadcast of this match attracted 273 million viewers.

Players from both teams face immense pressure to succeed and may react extremely to defeat, sometimes leading to incidents of hooliganism among fans. However, India-Pakistan matches also serve as opportunities for cricket diplomacy, allowing heads of state to exchange visits and fans to travel between the two countries to watch matches, fostering hopes for improved relations.

India vs Pakistan Cricket Rivalry: A Detailed Timeline

1947 – Origins of the Rivalry

The rivalry between the India and Pakistan cricket teams is one of the most intense in the world. The roots of this rivalry trace back to the Partition of British India in 1947, which created two independent nations, India and Pakistan. This division was marked by violent conflicts between ethnic groups, resulting in about one million deaths and the mass migration of around ten million people. This painful history and ongoing territorial disputes have fueled fierce competition in various sports, especially cricket, which both nations inherited and developed during British colonial rule.

1952 – Early Encounters

Pakistan became a member of the Imperial Cricket Conference (now the International Cricket Council or ICC) in 1948 and attained Full Member status in July 1952. Later that year, Pakistan toured India, playing their first Test matches. While India won the first Test in Delhi, Pakistan won the second Test in Lucknow, causing an angry reaction from Indian fans. India ultimately won the series by securing victory in the third Test in Bombay. However, the intense pressure led both teams to adopt defensive strategies, resulting in several drawn matches.

Interrupted Relations

Political tensions and wars between the two nations often interrupted cricketing ties. No matches were played between India and Pakistan from 1962 to 1977 due to the Indo-Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971. The Kargil War in 1999 and the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks also caused disruptions. When cricket resumed in 1978, thousands of Indian fans were granted visas to watch the matches in Pakistan, signalling a brief period of improved relations.

Neutral Venues and Major Tournaments

In the late 1980s and 1990s, India and Pakistan often played at neutral venues like Sharjah in the UAE and Toronto in Canada, attracting large audiences of expatriates. The rise of multinational tournaments such as the Cricket World Cup, ICC T20 World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, the Austral-Asia Cup, and the Asia Cup led to more frequent but shorter contests between the two sides.

Cricket Diplomacy

Cricket has occasionally served as a diplomatic tool to improve relations between India and Pakistan. For instance, Pakistani President Zia-ul-Haq’s visit to India during a Test match in Jaipur in the 1980s was a notable example of cricket diplomacy. Such initiatives have allowed heads of state to exchange visits and cricket fans to travel across borders, fostering hopes for better bilateral relations.

India vs Pakistan – Key Matches and Series

Over the years, several key matches have highlighted the rivalry:

• 1999 Test Series: Following Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s historic visit to Pakistan, the Pakistani team toured India for a series of Test matches and ODIs. However, the Kargil War later that year caused tensions to resurface, suspending cricket ties.
• 2003 Peace Initiative: Vajpayee’s peace initiative led India to tour Pakistan after nearly 15 years, with subsequent exchange tours in 2005 and 2006. However, the 2008 Mumbai attacks suspended India’s planned tour of Pakistan in 2009 and halted all future engagements in Pakistan.
• 2011 World Cup Semi-Final: India and Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals of the 2011 Cricket World Cup. The Indian government invited Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to watch the match alongside Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. This event was a significant moment of cricket diplomacy.

Recent Developments

• 2012 Series: Bilateral ties resumed when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) invited the Pakistan national team to tour India for three ODIs and two T20Is in December 2012. But for some reason, it was not possible.
• Asia Cup 2023: In October 2021, during the T20 World Cup, India and Pakistan played their 200th international match. Pakistan won by ten wickets, marking their first victory against India in World Cup tournaments. In October 2022, the BCCI announced that India would not travel to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup due to security concerns. This led to the tournament being held at a neutral venue. Despite initial threats to boycott the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India, Pakistan eventually participated.

Significant Records

• Anil Kumble’s Feat: In 1999, Indian bowler Anil Kumble became the second bowler in cricket history to take ten wickets in an innings during a match against Pakistan.
• High-Scoring Matches: India scored their highest-ever against Pakistan in the 2023 Asia Cup, scoring 356 for the loss of only 2 wickets. They defeated Pakistan with a record margin of 228 runs, bundling Pakistan for 128.

India National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Stats

ICC Matches Between India and Pakistan

India and Pakistan have faced each other in several ICC tournaments, with India holding the upper hand in most encounters.

ODI ICC World Cup

India has an unbeaten record against Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup. Since their first World Cup match in 1992, India has won all eight games against Pakistan. Notably, in the 2011 World Cup, India defeated Pakistan in the semi-finals and won the tournament. In their latest World Cup clash in 2023, held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India outperformed Pakistan by 7 wickets, making the score 8-0 in favour of India in the ODI World Cups.

ICC T20 World Cup

India also has a better record in T20 World Cups. India won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 by defeating Pakistan in the final. Pakistan won its first T20 World Cup against India in the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

In a recent T20 World Cup 2024 encounter, India defeated Pakistan by six runs in a closely contested Group A match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. Jasprit Bumrah played a crucial role in India’s victory by taking three key wickets with an economy rate of 3.50.

ICC Champions Trophy

Pakistan has had more success against India in the ICC Champions Trophy. Earlier, Pakistan was leading 3-2 in head-to-head encounters. However, after the India vs. Pakistan match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai, where India defeated Pakistan, the record is now equal at 3-3.

World Test Championship

India and Pakistan do not currently play Test matches against each other and have yet to meet in the World Test Championship.

ACC (Asia Cup) Matches

India and Pakistan have played against each other 19 times in the Asia Cup, including matches in the Twenty20 format. Out of these, India has won 10 times, Pakistan has won 7 times, and 2 games ended with no result because of rain.

The ACC Asian Test Championship was a cricket tournament in which the Test-playing nations of Asia—India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh—competed. It wasn’t a regular event and only took place twice: in 1998-99, which Pakistan won, and in 2001-02, which Sri Lanka won. The original plan was to hold the tournament every two years, alternating with the Asia Cup.

IND vs PAK Head-to-Head Match Scorecard (Test)

Decade	Matches	India Wins	Pakistan Wins	Drawn
1950s	10	2	1	7
1960s	5	0	0	5
1970s	9	2	2	5
1980s	20	0	4	16
1990s	2	1	1	0
2000s	12	4	3	5
2010s	–	–	–	–
2020s	–	–	–	–
Total	58	9	11	38

IND vs PAK Head to Head (ODI)

Decade	Matches	India	Pakistan	No Result
1970s	3	1	2	0
1980s	32	9	19	4
1990s	46	17	26	3
2000s	41	18	22	1
2010s	15	10	4	0
2020s	3	2	0	1
Total	140-	58	73	9

IND vs PAK Head to Head (T20I)

Decade	Matches	India	Pakistan	Tie/No result
2000s	2	1	0	1
2010s	6	5	1	0
2020s	5	3	2	0
Total	13	9	3	1

IND vs PAK Records (Test)

Most Runs in an Innings by Team

Runs	Team	Venue	Season
699/5	Pakistan	Lahore	1989–90
679/7d	Pakistan	Lahore	2005–06
675/5d	India	Multan	2003–04
674/6	Pakistan	Faisalabad	1984–85
652	Pakistan	Lahore	1982–83

Fewest Runs in a Completed Innings

Runs	Team	Venue	Season
106	India	Lucknow	1952–53
116	Pakistan	Bangalore	1986–87
126	India	New Delhi	1979–80
145	India	Bangalore	1986–87
145	Pakistan	Karachi	1954–55

Greatest Win Margins (by Innings)

Margin	Winning Team	Venue	Season
Innings and 370 runs	India	New Delhi	1952–53
Innings and 131 runs	India	Rawalpindi	2003–04
Innings and 119 runs	Pakistan	Hyderabad	1982–83
Innings and 86 runs	Pakistan	Karachi	1982–83
Innings and 52 runs	India	Multan	2003–04

Greatest Win Margins (by Runs)

Margin	Winning Team	Venue	Season
341 runs	Pakistan	Karachi	2005–06
212 runs	India	New Delhi	1998–99
195 runs	India	Kolkata	2004–05
168 runs	Pakistan	Bangalore	2004–05
131 runs	India	Mumbai	1979–80

Smallest Victories

Margin	Winning Team	Venue	Season
12 runs	Pakistan	Chennai	1998–99
16 runs	Pakistan	Bangalore	1986–87
46 runs	India	Kolkata	1998–99

Individual Records – Most Runs

Runs	Player	Span
2228	Javed Miandad (PAK)	1978–1989
2089	Sunil Gavaskar (IND)	1978–1987
1740	Zaheer Abbas (PAK)	1978–1984
1431	Mudassar Nazar (PAK)	1978–1984
1321	Younis Khan (PAK)	2005–2007

Highest Individual Score

Runs	Player	Venue	Date
309	Virender Sehwag (IND)	Multan	28 March 2004
280	Javed Miandad (IND)	Hyderabad	14 January 1983
270	Rahul Dravid (IND)	Rawalpindi	13 April 2004
267	Younis Khan (PAK)	Bangalore	24 March 2005
254	Virender Sehwag (IND)	Lahore	13 January 2006

Most Wickets by Individual

Wickets	Player	Matches	Bowling Average
99	Kapil Dev(IND)	29	30.12
94	Imran Khan (PAK)	23	24.04
81	Anil Kumble (IND)	15	31.97
45	Wasim Akram (PAK)	12	28.86
44	Fazal Mahmood (PAK)	14	24.54

Best Bowling Figures in an Innings

Bowling	Player	Venue	Date
10/74	Anil Kumble (IND)	New Delhi	4 February 1999
8/52	Vinoo Mankad (IND)	New Delhi	16 October 1952
8/60	Imran Khan (PAK)	Karachi	23 December 1982
8/69	Sikander Bakht (PAK)	New Delhi	4 December 1979
8/85	Kapil Dev (IND)	Lahore	23 January 1983

IND vs PAK Records (ODIs)

Highest Innings Total

Score	Team	Venue	Season
356/2 (50 overs)	India	Colombo	2023
356/9 (50 overs)	India	Visakhapatnam	2004–05
349/7 (50 overs)	Pakistan	Karachi	2003–04
344/8 (50 overs)	Pakistan	Karachi	2003–04
338/4 (50 overs)	India	The Oval, London	2017

Lowest Innings Total

Score	Team	Venue	Season
79 (34.2 overs)	India	Sialkot	1978–79
87 (32.5 overs)	Pakistan	Sharjah, UAE	1984–85
112 (30.2 overs)	India	Lahore	1989–90
116 (45 overs)	Pakistan	Toronto, Canada	1997
125 (45 overs)	India	Sharjah, UAE	1998–99

Largest Victory

Margin	Winning Team	Venue	Season
228 runs	India	Colombo	2023
180 runs	Pakistan	The Oval, London	2017
159 runs	Pakistan	New Delhi	2004–05
143 runs	Pakistan	Jaipur	1998–99
140 runs	India	Dhaka, Bangladesh	2008

Smallest Victory

Margin	Winning Team	Venue	Season
4 runs	India	Quetta	1978–79
4 runs	Pakistan	Sharjah, UAE	1991–92
5 runs	India	Karachi	2003–04
7 runs	Pakistan	Gujranwala	1989–90
7 runs	Pakistan	Peshawar	2005–06

Individual Most Career Runs

Runs	Player	Years
2,526 (67 innings)	Sachin Tendulkar (IND)	1989–2012
2,403 (64 innings)	Inzamam-ul-Haq (PAK)	1992–2006
2,002 (48 innings)	Saeed Anwar (PAK)	1989–2003
1,899 (55 innings)	Rahul Dravid (IND)	1996–2009
1,661 (59 innings)	Shoaib Malik  (PAK)	2000–present

Highest Individual Score

Runs	Player	Venue	Date
194	Saeed Anwar (PAK)	Chennai	21 May 1997
183	Virat Kohli (IND)	Dhaka, Bangladesh	18 March 2012
148	MS Dhoni (IND)	Visakhapatnam	5 April 2005
143	Shoaib Malik (PAK)	Colombo, Sri Lanka	25 July 2004
141	Sachin Tendulkar (IND)	Rawalpindi	16 March 2004

Most Wickets in a Career

Wickets	Player	Matches	Bowling average
60	Wasim Akram (PAK)	48	25.15
57	Saqlain Mushtaq (PAK)	35	24.38
54	Anil Kumble (IND)	34	24.25
54	Aaqib Javed (PAK)	39	24.64
54	Javagal Srinath (IND)	36	30.68

Best Bowling Figures

Bowling	Player	Venue	Date
7/37	Aaqib Javed (PAK)	Sharjah, UAE	25 October 1991
6/14	Imran Khan (PAK)	Sharjah, UAE	22 March 1985
6/27	Naved-ul-Hasan (PAK)	Jamshedpur	9 April 2005
5/16	Sourav Ganguly (IND)	Toronto, Canada	18 September 1997
5/19	Aaqib Javed (PAK)	Sharjah, UAE	7 April 1995

IND vs PAK Records (T20)

Highest Innings Total

Score	Team	Venue	Season
192/5 (20 overs)	India	Ahmedabad	2012
182/5 (19.5 overs)	Pakistan	Dubai	2022
181/7 (20 overs)	India	Dubai	2022
160/6 (20 overs)	India	Melbourne	2022

Lowest Innings Total

Score	Team	Venue	Season
83 (17.3 overs)	Pakistan	Mirpur	2016
113/7 (20 overs)	Pakistan	New York	2024
119 (20 overs)	India	New York	2024
128 (19.4 overs)	Pakistan	Colombo	2012
130/7 (20 overs)	Pakistan	Mirpur	2014

Most Career Runs

Runs	Player	Years
492 (11 innings)	Virat Kohli (IND)	2012–2024
228 (5 innings)	Mohammad Rizwan (PAK)	2021–2024
164 (8 innings)	Shoaib Malik (PAK)	2007–2021
156 (7 innings)	Mohammad Hafeez (PAK)	2007–2021
155 (8 innings)	Yuvraj Singh (IND)	2007–2016

Highest Individual Score

Runs	Player	Venue	Date
82*	Virat Kohli (IND)	Melbourne	23 Oct 2022
79*	Mohammad Rizwan (PAK)	Dubai	24 Oct 2021
78*	Virat Kohli (IND)	Colombo	30 Sept 2012
75	Gautam Gambhir (IND)	Johannesburg	24 Sept 2007
72	Yuvraj Singh (IND)	Ahmedabad	28 Dec 2012

Most Wickets in a Career

Wickets	Player	Innings	Economy
13	Hardik Pandya (IND)	6	7.25
11	Umar Gul (PAK)	6	8.27
11	Bhuvneshwar Kumar (IND)	7	7.26
7	Naseem Shah (PAK)	4	7.25
7	Arshdeep Singh (IND)	4	7.85
7	Haris Rauf (PAK)	5	8.15

Public and Government Reaction to the Rivalry:

Cricket is very important in both India and Pakistan, and matches between them can stir up strong emotions.

• In a 1989-90 series, an ODI in Karachi was stopped because of crowd trouble when Pakistan lost early wickets. Indian players faced stone-throwing, and the match was abandoned.
• Instances of violence include Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin being hit by a spectator with a hook and Krishnamachari Srikkanth’s shirt being torn by a Pakistani fan.
• Political party Shiv Sena disrupts matches to protest, including digging up pitches, especially during times of heightened political tensions like after the Kargil conflict.

Legal Actions and Tensions

• In 2014, 60 students in Uttar Pradesh were charged with sedition for celebrating Pakistan’s victory over India; the charges were later dropped.
• A Pakistani fan of Indian captain Virat Kohli was arrested in 2016 for hoisting India’s flag in Pakistan and sentenced to 10 years.
• After the 2021 T20 World Cup match, Indian Muslims celebrating Pakistan’s win were arrested, leading to controversy.

International Tensions:

• In Leicester, UK, clashes occurred between Indian Hindu and Pakistani Muslim communities after a 2022 Asia Cup match.

Leaders like India’s Manmohan Singh and Pakistan’s Yousuf Raza Gilani used cricket matches to improve relations, like during the 2011 World Cup semi-final, seen as a chance for diplomatic gestures. Instances include General Zia ul-Haq’s visit to India in 1987 during a cricket match to ease tensions and Prime Minister Pervez Musharraf’s visit to India in 2005 for a cricket match, which turned into a diplomatic summit.

This Pakistan national cricket team vs India national cricket team timeline gives a peek into the deep history of the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry. As the story goes on, one thing is clear – the excitement, emotions, and great cricketing moments will keep captivating fans for years to come.

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FAQs

Q: When was the first India-Pakistan cricket match played?
The first official India-Pakistan cricket match was played on October 16, 1952, in Delhi, where India won by an innings and 70 runs.

Q: What is the overall head-to-head record between India and Pakistan in ODIs?
Pakistan currently leads the ODI head-to-head record, but India has dominated ICC tournaments, particularly in World Cups.

Q: Which team has won more ICC World Cup matches between India and Pakistan?
India remains unbeaten against Pakistan in ODI World Cup history, winning all their encounters.

Q: What was the most iconic India-Pakistan cricket match?
The T20 World Cup 2007 final in Johannesburg is considered one of the most iconic matches, where India defeated Pakistan to win the inaugural T20 title.

Q: Who has scored the most runs in India-Pakistan matches?
Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most runs in India-Pakistan matches across formats, delivering several memorable performances.

Q: What is the highest individual score in an India-Pakistan match?
Saeed Anwar’s 194 in Chennai (1997) remains the highest individual score in an ODI between India and Pakistan.

Q: Who has taken the most wickets in India-Pakistan encounters?
Wasim Akram and Anil Kumble are among the top wicket-takers in India-Pakistan cricket history.

Q: Which India-Pakistan match had the closest finish?
The 2011 World Cup semi-final in Mohali was a nail-biting contest, with India securing a hard-fought victory to reach the final.

Q: How have India and Pakistan performed against each other in T20 World Cups?
India has dominated, winning most of their encounters, but Pakistan secured a historic victory in the 2021 T20 World Cup, beating India by 10 wickets.

Q: When did India and Pakistan last play a Test match?
The last India-Pakistan Test series occurred in 2007-08, with India winning the three-match series 1-0.

 

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