The cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan ranks among the most intense in global sports, with matches consistently drawing massive viewership worldwide. The rivalry is rooted in the 1947 Partition of British India, subsequent Indo-Pakistani Wars, the Kashmir conflict and state-sponsored terrorism.
Historically, the two nations have played 212 matches across all formats. Pakistan holds a slight edge with 88 wins compared to India's 81 victories. Pakistan has won more Test matches and One Day Internationals, while India has dominated Twenty20 Internationals.
In ICC World Cup competitions, India has won 16 of their 17 encounters against Pakistan. India has accumulated eight ICC titles total, while Pakistan has won three, including the ICC Cricket World Cup, the ICC T20 World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy.
The first match between the two teams took place in 1952 when Pakistan toured India. Political factors have frequently disrupted cricketing ties, leading to cancellations and postponements of planned tours. No cricket was played between 1962 and 1977 due to major wars in 1965 and 1971.
Further interruptions occurred after the 1999 Kargil War and the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. The 2008 attacks, orchestrated by the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba, led India to suspend a planned 2009 series and all subsequent bilateral cricketing ties.
The last full bilateral tour between the teams was Pakistan's visit to India in 2007, which included both Test and ODI series. Since then, the teams have primarily met in ICC and ACC tournaments, with India winning most matchups.
During the 1980s and 1990s, growing expatriate populations from both countries led to neutral venues hosting bilateral and multilateral ODI series. Demand for tickets to these matches remains extremely high. Their 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup meeting generated more than 800,000 ticket applications and attracted 273 million television viewers.
Players from both sides face immense pressure to win, sometimes experiencing extreme fan reactions to defeats.
Despite the intense rivalry, India-Pakistan matches have served as opportunities for cricket diplomacy, allowing heads of state and citizens from both countries to gather and potentially improve relations. However, political tensions often overshadow the sporting aspect.
