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India vs Pakistan at World Cup: A look at cricket’s biggest rivalry at the greatest stage

India and Pakistan have met 14 times at World Cups, with India winning all but one of these encounters

Published: Tue 27 Jun 2023, 5:44 PM

Updated: Wed 28 Jun 2023, 12:18 PM

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— AP File

— AP File

A match between India and Pakistan is possibly one of the biggest rivalries in sport, let alone cricket. The neighbours will once again compete in a blockbuster encounter in the ICC ODI World Cup this year. The group match will be played in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on October 15. India are the hosts of this edition of cricket’s biggest spectacle.

In all, India and Pakistan have met 14 times at World Cups, with India winning all but one of these encounters. India defeated Pakistan all seven times they faced each other at the ODI World Cup. In the T20 format, they met seven times, at the World Cup, over the years --- and Pakistan won one of those encounters in 2021.


The two arch-rivals last faced each other in a World Cup game in Melbourne in 2022 when India won by four wickets after an epic innings of 82 (not out) by Virat Kohli.

As India and Pakistan are set to play against each other in the World Cup once again, it is time to take a look at this great rivalry over the years.

1992 World Cup

India and Pakistan had first met each other in the World Cup in 1992. Batting first, India managed to reach 216 runs losing seven wickets. Sachin Tendulkar emerged as the highest scorer for India, pulling off a fine knock of unbeaten 54. Kapil Dev, Manoj Prabhakar and Javagal Srinath picked up two wickets each to bowl out Pakistan for 173.

1996 World Cup

The next India-Pakistan World Cup encounter took place in the 1996 World Cup in Bengaluru. This time it was India’s Navjot Singh Sidhu who came up with a stellar knock of 93 against Pakistan. Sidhu’s brilliance with the bat guided Team India to 287. During the run chase, Pakistan could only manage to reach 248. Anil Kumble and Venkatesh Prasad bagged three wickets each to earn a 39-run win for India.

1999 World Cup

The third World Cup match between India and Pakistan took place at the Old Trafford in Manchester in 1999. Venkatesh Prasad’s five-wicket haul helped Team India in claiming a 47-run triumph against Pakistan.

2003 World Cup

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar once again came up with a remarkable knock to earn a victory for India against Pakistan at the World Cup. This match is best known for the Sachin Tendulkar vs Shoaib Akhtar match-up. Sachin produced an epic knock of 98 as India clinched a six-wicket win.

2007 T20 World Cup (league match)

In the history of the T20 World Cup, India and Pakistan faced each other for the first time at Kingsmead, Durban, in 2007. A super over had to be introduced in that game after Pakistan managed to level India’s score of 141 in 20 overs. Team India, eventually, emerged victorious having prevailed in the super over.

2007 T20 World Cup (final)

The two teams once again met in the finals of the 2007 T20 World Cup but Pakistan failed to avenge their group stage defeat. India put up 157 runs after Gautam Gambir’s stellar 75. Pakistan came close in this cliffhanger of the match after Misbah-ul-Haq’s 43 in 38 balls. Finally, India won the game by five runs after a memorable last over. The win also began Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s successful stint as a trophy-winning captain for India.

2011 World Cup

Hosts India faced Pakistan in the semi-finals of the 2011 World Cup in Mohali. Team India continued their unbeaten World Cup run against Pakistan having earned a 29-run victory in 2011. India went on to win the World Cup under the leadership of MS Dhoni.

2012 T20 World Cup

India and Pakistan were up against each other for the second time in the history of the T20 World Cup in 2012. Chasing a meagre total of 128, India recorded a convincing eight-wicket victory. Virat Kohli shone with the bat notching up an unbeaten 78.

2014 T20 World Cup

India once again defeated Pakistan during their next T20 World Cup meeting in 2014. Chasing a total of 131, the MS Dhoni-led side scored the winning runs quite comfortably with nine balls to spare.

2015 World Cup

Virat Kohli pulled off a magnificent century in this India-Pakistan World Cup encounter in 2015 to put up 300 runs on board. Pakistan folded up at 224 in 47 overs to hand India a 76-run victory.

2016 T20 World Cup

Uncertainty loomed large over the India-Pakistan 2016 T20 World Cup fixture due to relentless rain in Kolkata. The match eventually started after being revised to 18 overs per innings. Pakistan, batting first, scored 118 runs. India once again prevailed with a six-wicket victory, thanks to Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 55.

2019 World Cup

In the 2019 World Cup, India and Pakistan faced each other at Old Trafford. Batting first, India reached a mammoth total of 336, thanks to Rohit Sharma’s brilliant century. Chasing a revised total of 302 in 40 overs, Pakistan could only score 212 in the rain-interrupted fixture. Fakhar Zaman was the top-scorer for Pakistan 62 runs.

2021 T20 World Cup

Pakistan finally avenged their defeats against India in World Cups with a resounding victory in 2021. Virat Kohli scored a fine half-century to guide his side to a total of 151 in this World Cup encounter held in Dubai. Kohli’s brilliance with the bat, however, went in vain as Pakistan won the game by 10 wickets. Babar Azam (68) and Mohammad Rizwan (79) decimated the Indian bowling attack to hand their neighbours a crushing defeat.

2022 T20 World Cup

The 2022 T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan would probably go down in the history of cricket as one of the most exciting matches. Batting first in Melbourne, Pakistan managed to score 159 in 20 overs. Shan Masood emerged as Pakistan’s highest scorer with an unbeaten innings of 52. In response, Virat Kohli came up with an epic knock of unbeaten 82 to earn a final-ball win for India. With 15 runs needed off the last over of the contest, India earned a thrilling four-wicket triumph.

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