India v Pakistan: Cricket’s ultimate grudge match in the desert
The last time India and Pakistan clashed in a major ICC 50-over contest was in 2023, at the highly anticipated World Cup league match in Ahmedabad.
As a contest, it turned out to be a bit of an anti-climax – India, in dominant form, comfortably chased down a subpar Pakistan target, securing a resounding victory.
And as Pakistani fans didn’t get visas to travel to India, aside from the cricket team, the country’s only notable presence was in the media centre.
Sunday’s ICC Champions Trophy clash between the arch-rivals at Dubai International Stadium promises a vastly different atmosphere.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) reported that tickets sold out within minutes – and with the UAE hosting more than 3.7 million Indians and nearly 1.7 million Pakistanis, a vibrant and well-represented crowd from both nations is all but guaranteed.
But can a sea of green flags in the stands inspire Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan’s men to defy the odds in this must-win clash against Rohit Sharma’s India?
Pakistan can take comfort in their strong head-to-head record in UAE – 19 wins in 28 ODIs, plus a lone T20I victory in the 2021 World Cup in Dubai.
Most of Pakistan’s wins against India came at Sharjah during their dominant run in the 1980s and ’90s, winning 18 of 24 games there.
In Dubai, India beat them twice in the 2018 Asia Cup, while both teams won a game each in a 2006 Abu Dhabi series.
Since Pakistan’s glory days in Sharjah, the tide has shifted – apart from the occasional T20I win, India has largely dominated in the new millennium.
Veteran cricket writer Ayaz Memon feels there is no reason to look at India-Pakistan clashes in the UAE through the prism of the past.
”There is no doubt that Pakistan enjoyed tremendous crowd support in the Sharjah days, with the local Pathan population making up the numbers. However, the team then boasted of the likes of Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Saeed Anwar, Aamer Sohail and the two Ws [Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis],” Memon says.
“Compare that to the state of the current team, which comes up with some exceptional results from time to time but lacks any form of consistency.”
The glitzy, ever-expanding United Arab Emirates city-state of Dubai offers little sign of a major cricket event – there are no welcome banners at the airport.
Instead, hoardings of Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek and company dominate, as the city is in full swing for the annual Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Head south, and the ‘Ring of Fire’ at Dubai International Stadium emerges from the highway, signalling cricket’s presence.
Towering images of all eight captains line the arena, but for the next two days, all eyes will be on Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Rizwan’s teams as fans worldwide await their fate.
It’s no secret that catering to broadcasters and marketing demands, the ICC consistently places India and Pakistan in the same group for major tournaments. This ensures at least one high-stakes league clash, with the potential for a blockbuster rematch in the knockouts.
At a time when cricket faces overexposure and its international structure is threatened by the rise of T20 franchise leagues, the India-Pakistan rivalry remains its biggest box-office draw.
A big plus about the tight, top-eight team format of the ICC Champions Trophy is that a little slip-up can cost even the heavyweights dear.
”The 50-over World Cup gives you a chance to pull back even if you stumble in the odd game as there are 10 games in the fray. It’s much different here where all three of your group matches are important to proceed to the semi-finals,” India captain Sharma said on the eve of their opening match against Bangladesh.
India cleared their first hurdle with a six-wicket win against Bangladesh on Thursday, powered by Shubman Gill’s classy century (cementing his status as a future ODI captain), Mohammed Shami’s five-wicket haul and a quickfire cameo from skipper Sharma, who crossed the 11,000-run mark in the format.
Jasprit Bumrah’s absence – expected as he recovers from a back spasm sustained in the final Test in Australia – remains a talking point. However, on this wicket, the spotlight is set to shift to the spinners.
Pakistan’s lead-up to the tournament has been a rollercoaster – both unpredictable and vulnerable. Their last three ODIs paint the picture perfectly.
Ten days ago, Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha’s stunning 260-run stand powered Pakistan to a record 353-run chase against South Africa in Karachi, securing a spot in the Tri-series final.
But just two days later, they faltered, looking ordinary as New Zealand cruised to a five-wicket win, denying them a confidence boosting title ahead of the Champions Trophy.
Then on Wednesday, after their bowlers made early inroads, they let the Kiwis off the hook, eventually crashing to a 60-run defeat in their tournament opener.
This has put their backs against the wall ahead of the big game – and what has irked former Pakistan greats is captain Rizwan’s statement that they will take the India match as “just another game”.
History shows that Pakistan thrives in such situations, echoing Imran Khan’s legendary “caged tigers” rallying cry from their triumphant 1992 World Cup campaign.
Yes, the odds favour India, but Pakistan can never be written off on UAE soil. After all, it’s a new day, a fresh battle, and anything can happen in a big game.
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Clash With Pakistan Just Another Game, Says India Batsman Gill
Faisal KAMAL
Feb 22, 2025, 8:41 am EST
India vice-captain Shubman Gill on Saturday said the eagerly-awaited match against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy is a fan favourite, but for his team it’s business as usual.
The arch-rivals face off in Dubai on Sunday with the blockbuster clash expected to draw a packed house as the two teams only meet in multi-nation events due to political tensions.
India had refused to travel to host country Pakistan for the 50-over tournament and instead will play all their matches at the 25,000-capacity Dubai International Stadium.
Gill led India to victory against Bangladesh in their opening game, scoring an unbeaten 101 at the top of the order, and he said the team will try to keep up their winning habit.
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“It doesn’t change anything for us honestly,” Gill said of taking on Pakistan.
“We play every match to win and this is no different for us and this is how we prepare for any match that we play. So that’s how we are going to prepare for this one as well.”
TV ratings soar when the Asian giants clash on the cricket field as millions tune into watch the match, which gives huge revenue to broadcasters.
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Streets are deserted in India and Pakistan when the two play each other and Gill said he cannot deny the excitement among the fans.
“There is a long history of India-Pakistan and it’s a very exciting contest when both the teams play,” said Gill.
“Everyone enjoys watching it. If so many people are getting happiness in watching this match then who are we to say under-hype or over-hype?”
He added: “We go out to play cricket. We try our best to represent our country and try our best to win.”
The rivals last met in a one-day game at the 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad, with hosts India winning by seven wickets.
India know a victory will put them in sight of the semi-finals, while Pakistan are playing for survival in the tournament after their loss to New Zealand in the opener.
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New Zealand top Group A ahead of India on a better run-rate. Pakistan are fourth and bottom of the group.
The top two teams from each of the two groups make the semi-finals.
When pressed further about the enormity of the game, Gill said: “I think it is a big match. But I think the biggest match will obviously be the finals that the team plays. And definitely, we have been playing some good ODI cricket.”
Gill said Pakistan remain a dangerous side despite some poor results.
“Pakistan, unfortunately, has lost some matches recently,” said Gill.
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“But by no means, I think we are going to take them as a lesser side. I think they have got a good side and it is important for us to bring our A-game tomorrow.”
Gill has been in the form of his life in the 50-over format and on Thursday hit his second successive ODI century after he played a key role in India’s recent 3-0 sweep of England.
Back-up wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant did not practise on the eve of the match with Pakistan and Gill said he is down with “viral fever”.
The Barron’s news department was not involved in the creation of the content above. This article was produced by AFP. For more information go to AFP.com.
© Agence France-Presse
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Passion, politics and patriotism meld as Pakistan and India clash in cricket’s fiercest rivalry
Indian cricket fans, their bodies painted in the colors of the national flags of India, right and Pakistan,left, pose for photograph in Ahmedabad, India, Oct. 23, 2021.(AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
NEW DELHI (AP) — It is a sports rivalry like no other in the world.
When India and Pakistan face off in Dubai on Sunday, the cricket contest will be amped up by so much more — the 78 years of bitterness between the two arch rival nations, the heightened political hostilities, and the patriotic zeal of hundreds of millions of people.
Cricket-mad nations India and Pakistan are competing in the game’s 50-over format for the coveted eight-nation Champions Trophy tournament that began on Wednesday in Pakistan. While six national teams have travelled to Pakistan for the tournament, India has refused to go there by leveraging its strong influence on International Cricket Council, the game’s global governing body.
Indian cricket authorities have offered no formal statement about refusing to play in Pakistan, but some officials have suggested that the decision was based on security concerns. India will play all its matches — including the one against Pakistan — at a neutral venue in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
In both India and Pakistan, cricket has become a symbol of national identity and every clash grabs the attention of more than a billion fans. And Sunday’s match comes at a time when relations between the two neighbors have hit a new low.
That animosity largely stems from the two countries’ dispute over Kashmir, a restive Himalayan region over which they have fought two wars. Nuclear-armed rivals each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety.
Compounding the territorial dispute are heightened tensions stemming from the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks that India blamed on Pakistani militants, a charge Islamabad denies.
And sporting relations inevitably ebb and flow with the politics. Bilateral cricket ties have remained suspended since 2008, and the two national teams have only played each other in global events where they are always paired together in a group to ensure there is a contest between them.
Even though the Indian team has not travelled to Pakistan since 2008, Pakistan played in India in 2023 during the World Cup, including before a hostile crowd at a cricket stadium named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Fans hold Pakistani and Indian flags with a message banner as they watch the tri-series ODI cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
So-called “cricket diplomacy” has occasionally thawed out relations but that hasn’t been the case under Modi. His Hindu nationalist government has taken a tough stance on resuming friendlier cricket ties with Pakistan with many senior ministers saying Indian team won’t play in the country.
Dozens of people in India and disputed Kashmir have also faced police complaints and sometimes even jail for cheering for the Pakistani team.
“Cricket is the strongest currency in the eyes of this government which they have used to instigate resentment and anger against Pakistan,” said Sharda Ugra, an Indian sports writer. Ugra said while the fans of the two countries are eager to watch the two nations play more often, the contest “has been held hostage to ugly politics.”
In sheer numbers, viewership for the India-Pakistan match dwarfs the Super Bowl in what Ugra calls the “greatest sports rivalry in the world” bar none.
When the two sides played against each other in 2023 in India, the estimated viewership — on cable television and streaming services — was around 400 million. In comparison, this year’s Super Bowl averaged a 127.7 million across all platforms in the U.S.
Organizers expect similar numbers for Sunday’s contest that will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. And it’s a guaranteed windfall as tickets for the game sold out within minutes while billion-dollar broadcast deals have been hammered out.
Media in both the countries are cashing in too. Pakistani and Indian TV news channels are providing wall-to-wall coverage. In recent weeks, TV commercials in both countries used patriotic fervor to poke fun at each other.
Local authorities and private companies in both the countries have announced that they would set up giant screens in some city centers and inside shopping malls.
For many fans, this clash holds more value than any other sporting event in the world — and they want more of it.
In India’s western city of Mumbai, cricket coach Anil Sawant plans to watch the game at a clubhouse along with his friends on a giant screen.
Indian children practice batting at a cricket coaching camp in Mumbai, India, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
“These matches should take place often,” 57-year-old Sawant said, as his students honed their skills during practice at the city’s Shivaji Park ground — a favorite for cricketers of all ages.
Mohammad Ahmed, a 27-year-old accountant, has also planned to host seven of his friends at his home in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi city. All of them will watch the game on a big screen and he plans to serve them special chicken biryani.
“And of course French fries and soft drinks will be on the menu too,” Ahmed said with a smile.
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Associated Press journalists Rizwan Ali in Islamabad, Pakistan and Rajanish Kakade in Mumbai contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
