The traditional Asian rivals India and Pakistan have played some historical ICC T20 World Cup games over the years. From Misbah’s infamous scoop shot in the maiden T20I World Cup which India won, to Babar and Rizwan’s chasing masterclass against India in the 2021 T20 World Cup 2021 group stages, this rivalry has grown exponentially over the years.
Over the years, both rivals have played close matches against each other. However, in the T20 World Cup matches, India always had an upper hand over their western neighbors. There have been six India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup matches to date.
Out of which, India has won five of them, while Pakistan has won just once. In addition, India has won 8 matches, and Pakistan has won just 3 matches in the overall T20I games. Pakistan would look to further improve its World Cup record against a depleted Indian bowling lineup.
Jasprit Bumrah is a big miss for India, as a sustained back injury ruled him out of the tournament. Harshal Patel is not looking in the best form with the ball.
Pakistan has a fair share of problems with the bat. Their middle order has been struggling to score runs. So, India will look to cash in by picking up a few quick wickets at the top.
India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup encounters:
As both teams get ready to rewrite a new chapter in their history, we look at some of the best India vs Pakistan encounters over the years.
1. T20 World Cup 2007 Group Stage (South Africa)
The first time the two rivals met in a T20I World Cup game was during the 2007 World Cup group stage game. That match is also known for its infamous bowl-out tiebreaker rule, which was later scrapped.
The game ended in a draw, but India won the match via bowl-out after all the first three Indian players hit the stumps. The Pakistani players missed all their chances.
2. T20 World Cup 2007 Final (South Africa)
The two rivals met again in the finals of the T20 World Cup 2007. A brilliant 75 from Gautam Gambhir made sure that India reach 157/5 in 20 overs. While chasing, Pakistan lost quick wickets before a quickfire knock of 33 off 14 balls from Imran Nazir and then a stellar inning from Misbah ul Haq took them even closer to victory.
The match is also well-known for Misbah’s infamous scoop shot when Pakistan needed 4 runs on the final ball. India went on to win the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007.
3. T20 World Cup 2012 (Sri Lanka)
The next India vs Pakistan game took place in the T20 World Cup 2012 in Sri Lanka. Veteran pacer L. Balaji took three wickets to restrict Pakistan to a small total of 128 along with R. Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh who took 2 wickets each
Later, it was the turn of superstar Virat Kohli whose unbeaten 78 runs along with a watchful inning of 19 off 16 balls helped India chase down the total quite comfortably.
4. T20 World Cup 2014 (Bangladesh)
The Asian rivals met again at Mirpur, Bangladesh in the group stages of the T20 World Cup 2014. Once again, the Pakistani batters let their team down by scoring a small total of 130/7.
Virat Kohli was once again the anchor of the chase, as his unbeaten 36 off 35 balls along with Suresh Raina’s unbeaten 35 off 28 balls helped India chase down the total with just 9 balls left.
5. T20 World Cup 2016 (India)
In a rain-curtailed 18-over game, Pakistan batted first and scored just 118/5 in their full quota of 18 overs. Subsequently, India too had a nervous start, as they lost 3 quick wickets at the top. But once again it was Virat Kohli who proved to be a difference between the two sides.
His unbeaten 55 runs off just 37 balls proved enough for Pakistan, as India won the match comfortably by 6 wickets.
6. T20 World Cup 2021 (UAE)
Finally, it was Pakistan’s turn to seek some revenge on their dominating neighbors. Pakistani speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi was the destroyer in chief, as his 3 for 41 with the ball ensured that Pakistan restricted India to 151/7 in 20 overs.
Virat Kohli once again stood out against Pakistan with the bat as his 57 off 49 balls ensured that India reached a respectable total. Meanwhile, Pakistan chased down the total comfortably and won by 10 wickets, thanks to a batting masterclass from skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
