Why does the hype never fade in IND-PAK clashes?:4 matches decided on last ball thriller; no 200+ score in high-profile encounters

India’s clash with Pakistan in the T20 World Cup has long symbolised Indian supremacy, with India winning seven of their eight encounters, holding a commanding 7–1 edge. On paper, such a one-sided record suggests dominance, yet the fixture continues to generate immense excitement and global attention. The hype stems from two key factors. First, the strained political relationship between the two nations naturally intensifies emotions around any sporting contest. Second, despite India’s superior record, most matches have been fiercely competitive and closely fought. In the following sections, we’ll revisit each India-Pakistan T20 World Cup meeting and explore what kind of contest fans might expect this time. T20 WC 2007: T20 clashes in the inaugural season
The first-ever T20 World Cup took place in 2007 in South Africa, where India and Pakistan faced each other twice. Their league-stage clash ended in a tie after both teams scored 141 runs. With no Super Over rule at the time, the match was decided by a bowl-out, which India won as Robin Uthappa, Harbhajan Singh, and Virender Sehwag hit the stumps while Pakistan’s bowlers missed. The two rivals met again in the final. India, batting first after winning the toss, posted 157/5. Pakistan fought hard in the chase but were bowled out for 152 in 19.3 overs, handing India a thrilling victory and the inaugural T20 World Cup title. From 2012 to 2022: Chasing teams won the on-field battle
In 2012 at the Colombo ground, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat, but the team was all out for 128 runs in 19.4 overs. India achieved the target in just 17 overs, losing 2 wickets with the help of Virat Kohli’s fifty. This match proved to be one-sided. In 2014 at Mirpur ground, India won the toss and chose to bowl. Pakistan could only make 130 runs for 7 wickets. India easily achieved the target with 3 wickets down in 18.3 overs. This match was also one-sided. In 2016 at the Kolkata ground, India won the toss and chose to bowl. Due to rain, the match was reduced to 18-18 overs; Pakistan scored 118 runs for 5 wickets. India won the match losing 4 wickets in 15.5 overs. In 2021 at the Dubai ground, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl. India could only score 151 runs, losing 7 wickets. Pakistan achieved the target without any loss in 17.5 overs. Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam made a record partnership of 152 runs. In 2022, India won the toss and chose to bowl at the Melbourne ground. Pakistan scored 159 runs for 8 wickets. India lost 4 wickets for just 31 runs, from here Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli stabilised the innings. Kohli scored 82 runs and led India to a 4-wicket victory in a match that went till the last ball. T20 WC 204 clash also ended in last ball thriller
In 2024, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl at the New York ground. India was all out for 119 runs in 19 overs. India was on the verge of their second consecutive defeat against Pakistan in the World Cup. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya led the comeback in bowling and restricted Pakistan to just 113 runs. 159 runs highest first innings score
In the 8 World Cup matches played between the two so far, 159 runs remains the highest first innings score, which Pakistan made at the Melbourne ground in 2022. However, India successfully chased it down. The lowest score between the two was 118 runs, which Pakistan made in 2016. That match was reduced to 18-18 overs due to rain. The success rate of the chasing team is 75%The
India and Pakistan teams have faced each other only 16 times in T-20 International. This means half of the matches played between them in this format were in the World Cup. Out of these 16 matches, India won 13 times. Pakistan could win only three times. In the World Cup, Team India won 3 matches batting first and 4 matches bowling first against Pakistan. Pakistan’s only win came in 2021 while batting second. What to expect this time?
India and Pakistan are set to clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo this time. Both teams have previously met here in the 2012 World Cup. Then, batting first, Pakistan could only score 128 runs. India achieved the target in just 17 overs. Virat Kohli scored 78 runs and also took 1 wicket. India’s spinners took 4 wickets then. This time too, a spin-friendly pitch is likely. There could be a spin contest: Whichever team’s spinners perform better could dominate. India has Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, while Pakistan has Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmad, along with part-time spinner Saim Ayub. Looking at team balance, India can field a maximum of three spinners. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s team can include all five spinners in the playing-11. This is because among Indian spinners, only Axar Patel is an all-rounder. On the other hand, three of Pakistan’s spinners – Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub and Mohammad Nawaz are all-rounders. Batting First Advantageous: Although in T20 format between India and Pakistan, the team batting second has won 75% of matches, the captain winning the toss at Premadasa Stadium may choose to bat first. Three matches have been played here so far in this World Cup. Every time the team batting first has won. Zimbabwe also defeated Australia while batting first. Therefore, batting first would be advantageous.