India vs. Pakistan 2025: The Greatest Cricket Rivalry Renewed

Cricket is a global phenomenon, with many countries boasting thousands to millions of fans. However, let’s look at countries’ interest in cricket on a scale of popularity, with 100 being the most popular and zero being no popularity. India would have a 100 rating, while Pakistan rates second at 70. 

As such, is it any surprise that these two countries are experiencing intense rivalry? As countries that see cricket as more than just a sport, India and Pakistan have clashed over the years, and many regard it as one of the greatest cricket rivalries of all time. With the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy starting soon, let’s take a look at this rivalry.

Where It All Started

The very first match between India and Pakistan was in 1952, during the Pakistan Tour of India. India won the game 2-1, but it was the start of the competitiveness between the two countries’ cricket teams.

It’s come to a point where even fans can see the rivalry between the teams. Wagering on which cricket team will win their next face-off has picked up steam. When fans bet on cricket, India or Pakistan is often a favourite.

Part of the reason their competitiveness has become so high is that their scores are relatively close. While Pakistan leads in ODI and Test matches, India leads in T20Is. However, what helped grow this competitive spirit?

The Growth of Intense Rivalry

The competitiveness between the two teams kept growing due to multiple factors. Interviews with various cricket players in the Indian and Pakistani teams only support this claim. Ravichandran Ashwin, an Indian cricketer, stated that it (the rivalry) is “bigger than the Ashes,” (England vs Australia’s iconic Test series).

It also didn’t help that players go up strong against each other during matches. One legendary instance was during the Mulan Test match, where Virender Sehwag and Shoaib Akhtar went head to head. 

Akhtar was sledging Sehwag, but the Indian batter gave as good as he got. India won the game by 52 runs and an innings, and Sehwag scored a triple century. Further, there was a time when Indians were scared to come to Pakistan.

It was largely due to diplomatic and political tensions. Pakistan implemented extreme security measures to ensure the safety of players, which only further added to the pressure to perform well on the pitch.

Head-to-Head Record 

Pakistan and India have met 207 times on the pitch, including the first time they’ve faced each other. The table below explains the history of their overall head-to-head score.

Clashing at the ICC Champions Trophy

While the rivalry between the teams started long before the ICC Champions Trophy, it only further heated up with this tournament’s introduction. They played their first ICC Champions match in 2004, which was held in Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Pakistan won that game by three wickets, and the next one was held in 2009 at the SuperSport Park, Centurion, with 54 runs. India then swooped in for the win during the 2013 and 2017 matches, both held in Edgbaston, Birmingham. 

They won by eight wickets in 2013 and 124 runs in 2017. Later, in 2017, at The Oval in London, Pakistan once again took the lead, winning by 180 runs. Their next face-down will be the sixth time they’ve faced each other in an ICC Champions Trophy event.

Battle on the Pitch at the 2025 ICC Championship

Pakistan and India’s match on February 23rd promises to be exciting. It has been eight years since they last faced each other in an ICC Champions match (the previous longest time between such a match was five years). 

Tensions are high, and fans are taking notice as India comes ready to settle the score while Pakistan aims to prove its dominance. Both Pakistan and India went into this match with three wins and two losses, though India’s losses are more recent than Pakistan’s losses.

Still, India is riding the high of their complete victory over England in the ODIs (winning 3-0). It remains to be seen whether they can carry this momentum against their longtime rivals. Let’s take a look at what both teams have going for them.

The Squads for ICC Champions 2025

India managed to secure Jasprit Bumrah for their team in this ICC Champions Trophy. As such, the squad is now made stronger with this fast bowler on their side. India’s squad is now rounded out with the following players:

• Jasprit Bumrah
• Shubman Gill
• Shreyas Iyer
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Virat Kohli
• KL Rahul
• Axar Patel
• Hardik Pandya
• Rishabh Pant
• Arshdeep Singh
• Mohammad Shami
• Rohit Sharma
• Washington Sundar
• Kuldeep Yadav

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s team consists of the following players:

• Abrar Ahmed
• Babar Azam
• Faheem Ashraf
• Shaheen Shah Afridi
• Fakhar Zaman
• Kamran Ghulam
• Mohammad Hasnain
• Usman Khan
• Haris Rauf
• Mohammad Rizwan
• Naseem Shah
• Saud Shakeel
• Khushdil Shah
• Salman Agha
• Tayyab Tahir

The Pride of Two Nations

Many are looking forward to this upcoming match. In the last five matches, these teams went head-to-head. India won four of them and reached a draw on the other. As such, Pakistan has a lot to prove, while India is riding its success high. Fans are so excited that when the ICC announced the sale of extra tickets for the match on February 23rd, it was sold out within hours.

FAQs

Is India or Pakistan taking the lead in their head-to-head count?

While Pakistan has won the most overall matches (88 out of 207), India is close with 76 out of 207 games. However, India has won the last five matches they played against Pakistan in various series.

Does Netflix have a series about this rivalry?

Yes, Netflix released the series The Greatest Rivalry: India vs. Pakistan on February 7th. It explores the rivalry using interviews with players and their match histories.

What team is favoured for the win?

India is the favourite to win, not just against Pakistan but possibly the entire tournament. However, playing away from home could impact their performance. As such, it remains to be seen who’ll emerge victorious.