From historic firsts to incredible chases, the India-Pakistan rivalry lived up to its name over the last five occasions at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
2022: The Virat Kohli show
Pakistan 159/8 Shan Masood 52, Hardik Pandya 3/30 lost to India 160/6 Virat Kohli 82, Haris Rauf 2/36*
The most recent of India-Pakistan encounters was played at the iconic MCG in Australia and saw a contest for the ages.
Fifties from Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed helped Pakistan overcome an ordinary start and set India a target of 160. And it looked like Pakistan would seal back-to-back wins over their arch-rivals when India were 31/4 courtesy of a fiery spell from Haris Rauf.
However, India star Virat Kohli played a magnificent innings, and with support from Hardik Pandya took the game to the final stages. As India closed in, Kohli unleashed a flurry of exquisite strokes, including an iconic six behind the bowler. India took the game with four wickets to spare. Kohli’s 82* included six fours and four sixes.
2021: Pakistan break the streak
India 151/7 Virat Kohli 57, Shaheen Afridi 3/31 lost to Pakistan 152/0 Mohammad Rizwan 79, Babar Azam 68
Barring the ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan had never beaten in India in a senior men’s ICC trophy contest before 2021. It all changed in Dubai, where Shaheen Afridi scythed through India’s top-order in a scintillating spell. Despite Kohli and Rishabh Pant’s resilience in the middle India could secure only 151.
Openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan then took command with the willow, showing patience before going for their shots and finishing the chase in the 18th over. Pakistan won the contest with all their 10 wickets intact.
2016: Dhoni’s veterans take the all-stars battle
Pakistan 118/5 Shoaib Malik 26, Suresh Raina 1/4 lost to India 119/4 Virat Kohli 55, Mohammad Sami 2/17*
Featuring several big names in their last-ever India-Pakistan T20 World Cup tussle, including MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Shahid Afridi, Ashish Nehra, Mohammad Sami and Suresh Raina, this contest went India’s way courtesy of Kohli’s impeccable fifty.
Despite getting starts, Pakistan weren’t really able to take off as Nehra and Ravindra Jadeja kept things tight with their identical hauls of 1/20. Sami and Mohammad Amir got the better of India’s openers and Raina, but India’s chase-master Kohli stuck in for his side and scored a match-winning 55*.
2014: India spin a web in Dhaka
Pakistan 130/7 Umar Akmal 33, Amit Mishra 2/22 lost to India 131/3 Virat Kohli 36, Bilawal Bhatti 1/17*
Pakistan found the going tough on a sluggish wicket, their troubles were further complicated by the accuracy of India spinners. Ravi Ashwin (0/23 in four overs), Ravindra Jadeja (1/18 in 4) and Player of the Match, Amit Mishra (2/22 in 4) all went under six runs an over to keep Pakistan to 130.
Handy contributions from Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan helped give India a good start before Kohli (36*)* and Raina (35) sealed the chase.
2012: Kohli dominates Colombo
Pakistan 128 Shoaib Malik 22, Laxmipathy Balaji 3/22 lost to India 129/2 Virat Kohli 78, Raza Hasan 1/22*
The star batter was in exemplary white-ball form in 2012, scoring two of his finest ODI knocks (133* against Sri Lanka and 183 against Pakistan) earlier in the year, and his magic touch also played a role in India’s emphatic win Colombo.
India spinners took control of the game early on, with Ashwin and Yuvraj SIngh sharing four wickets for merely 32 runs. Kohli also contributed with a wicket, dismissing opener Mohammad Hafeez. The Men in Green were bowled out for 128.
Though India lost opener Gautam Gambhir for a duck, Kohli’s top form with the willow won them the contest in merely 17 overs. He hit eight fours and two sixes on the way to an unbeaten 78.
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