Pakistan vs India: A history of high-octane clashes

Cricket arch-enemies India and Pakistan have faced each other six times in the history of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, with India winning five of those encounters. 

Here's a quick rundown of each of those games and how both teams fared in those matches.

On Sunday, October 23, age-old rivals India and Pakistan will clash in the opening match of the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Super 12 Group B clash will have emotions at an all-time high, as both teams look to start their World Cup campaign on a high note.

The two teams have had some high-octane clashes on the world stage over the years, with India having the upper hand. However, Babar Azam's Pakistan bounced back brilliantly in the last edition of the tournament, producing a near-perfect performance in Dubai to claim their first-ever World Cup victory over India. 

India, led by Rohit Sharma, will now be eager to respond forcefully and reestablish their dominance over their neighbours.

As the world waits with eager anticipation and Melbourne prepares to host 100,000 spectators for the match, this latest ICC report looks back at the history of the India v Pakistan clash at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup over the years.

Durban, 2007

Bowl-out in group stages, India beat Pakistan 3-0

The first-ever clash between India and Pakistan in T20 World Cup history, during the tournament's inaugural edition, proved to be a nervy battle that went down to the last minute. Rohit Sharma's half-century, along with crucial contributions from MS Dhoni and Irfan Pathan down the order, helped India reach 141/9.

Pakistan would have fancied their chances of chasing down the target, but the Indian bowlers did a fine job of picking up early wickets. Despite the fact that Misbah-ul-Haq threatened to win the match with a fifty, India held their nerve and the match ended in a tie. However, India was eventually declared the winner after having won the bowl-out, a system used to break ties in the format's early days.

Johannesburg, 2007

ICC World T20 2007: India beat Pakistan in the final

India and Pakistan clashed once more in the same edition, this time in the final, and it was quite a spectacle as the arch-rivals fought until the final over. Gautam Gambhir's magnificent 75-ball knock at the top of the order, combined with Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 30-ball cameo, helped India post a challenging target of 158 for Pakistan.

Imran Nazir got Pakistan off to a fast start, scoring 33 runs off 14 deliveries. However, the wickets that fell at regular intervals after he was run out did not help Pakistan's cause. Misbah-ul-Haq barely kept them in the game, taking it to the final over with Pakistan needing 13 runs to win and India needing a wicket. The pressure was immediately put back on India when he hit Joginder Sharma for a six off the second delivery of the last over, but he mistimed a scoop off the next delivery, giving Sreesanth an easy catch at Short fine-leg. With that wicket, Pakistan was bowled out and India was crowned T20 World Cup champions for the first time.

Colombo, 2012

India and Pakistan met once more in the group stages of the 2012 edition. This time, Pakistan was bowled out for a paltry total of 128, with Lakshmipathy Balaji claiming bowling figures of 3/22. Both Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh bowled well, taking a couple of wickets each. Despite losing an early wicket in the form of Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli guided India to victory with an unbeaten 78 off 61 deliveries. India won by eight wickets with 18 deliveries to spare.

Dhaka, 2014

India beat Pakistan by eight wickets

Their encounter in the 2014 edition's group stages was once again a one-sided affair. India held Pakistan to a meagre total of 130/7. Amit Mishra bowled brilliantly, tricking the Pakistani batters with his wrist-spin, finishing with figures of 2/22 in four overs. India easily chased down the target once more, with Kohli and Suresh Raina remaining unbeaten on 36 and 35 runs, respectively. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma also made important contributions at the top of the order, with 30 and 24 respectively, as India won by seven wickets with nine deliveries remaining.

Kolkata, 2016

After rain delayed the start of the game, India prevailed once more in this shortened game of 18 overs per side. Pakistan could only muster 118/5 in their assigned overs as Indian bowlers bowled tight lines and lengths throughout the innings. In response, India lost both of their openers early, but Virat Kohli rose to the occasion once more, remaining unbeaten on 55 off 37 deliveries to lead India home with six wickets and 13 balls remaining.

Dubai, 2021

Shaheen Shah Afridi's new-ball spell

Pakistan finally ended their T20 World Cup winless streak against India with a comprehensive 10-wicket victory in Dubai during their group-stage match. After a shaky start caused by Shaheen Shah Afridi's new-ball spell, which claimed the wickets of both KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma, Kohli's fifty and Rishabh Pant's 39-run contribution helped India reach 151/7.

However, Pakistan's openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan batted brilliantly, remaining unbeaten on 68 and 79 respectively to chase down the target with 13 balls remaining.