The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match is set to take place on Saturday as part of the group-stage event of the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
The 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is expected to be packed to its limits with fans eagerly awaiting the rare showdown between the two teams.
The last time India and Pakistan faced each other in the World Cup was in England four years ago where over 800,000 applications for tickets were made for the Old Trafford clash.
The match was watched by a staggering 273 million viewers worldwide, making it one of the most-watched cricket games in history.
The rivalry between England and Australia during The Ashes is fierce, but the matches between India and Pakistan are unique because they are rare.
Due to political tensions and armed conflicts between the two nations, no cricket was played between them from 1962 to 1977.
Currently, they only compete against each other in Asia Cup tournaments or official ICC events.
The two teams have not met in a Test series for 16 years and in a bilateral ODI or T20 series for 10 years.
India even refused to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup last month, causing the tournament-hosting duties to be shared with Sri Lanka.
The Pakistan team will be in India for the first time since the 2016 T20 World Cup.
High-level intervention was needed this week to allow Pakistan journalists and supporters into the country.
Eoin Morgan, England’s World Cup-winning captain in 2019, calls the India-Pakistan rivalry as “our biggest rivalry in the game”.
He believes that only meeting each other in ICC events amplifies the magnitude of it.
“There’s a huge amount of rivalry and history between both sides; it’s not just about what happens in the park,” he adds.
“India has had bragging rights for a considerable period of time. Both sides have started this tournament well. I have no doubt it’s going to be an epic game.”
On the field, the action should be spectacular with India and Pakistan currently ranked first and second in the world in one-day internationals.
Both teams have won their opening two World Cup matches, with Pakistan comfortably defeating the Netherlands and breaking the record for the highest World Cup run-chase by reeling in 345 to defeat Sri Lanka.
Similarly, India has also won two matches impressively against Australia and Afghanistan, with the latter display headlined by captain Rohit Sharma’s record-extending seventh World Cup century.
Although head-to-head meetings between the sides are rare, India and Pakistan did meet twice recently at the 2023 Asia Cup.
Unfortunately, their opening contest was lost to rain.
In their second meeting, Kohli became the fastest batter to 13,000 ODI runs and closed in on Sachin Tendulkar’s hundreds record in the format in the process, as India thrashed Pakistan by 228 runs on their way to winning the tournament.
India has won all seven of their prior 50-over World Cup meetings, even reigning supreme in 1992 before Imran Khan’s ‘cornered tigers’ turned things around to ultimately beat England in that year’s final.
Both teams have enjoyed storied successes in the tournament, with India victorious twice (1983 and 2011), and Pakistan triumphant once (1992).
India’s two World Cup wins were rather contrasting in terms of expectations.
They were the favourites in 2011 when again given hosting duties and emerged victorious despite being under intense scrutiny.
They beat Sri Lanka in the final after having bested Pakistan in the semis.
As for 1983, India did not face Pakistan that year and was unfancied for both their semi-final tie with hosts England and the final against two-time reigning champions the West Indies.
But, incredibly, Kapil Dev’s inspired outfit successfully defended 183 against the likes of Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, and Clive Lloyd at Lord’s to lift the trophy for the first time.
Pakistan’s World Cup record against India is atrocious, but they did break their duck of sorts two years ago – albeit in a different format.
Having also failed to win any of their five prior T20 World Cup meetings with India – including losing the 2007 final to them – Pakistan finally registered a win over their great rivals at an ICC World Cup when hammering them by 10 wickets at the 2021 tournament, before normal service was resumed as India won their meeting in 2022.
