All roads lead to Colombo as India and Pakistan are set to square off at the R Premadasa Stadium in the T20 World Cup on Sunday. The marquee Group A encounter will be a grudge match for Pakistan, given how they were handed three defeats in the Asia Cup just a few months ago. India once again enters the contest as favourites, given its head-to-head record and recent form. However, Pakistan cannot be taken lightly, as the Salman Ali Agha side is well versed in the conditions, given they are playing all their World Cup games in Sri Lanka.
The upcoming match between India and Pakistan will not be the first time that these two teams have squared off in a T20 World Cup game in Sri Lanka. The two traditional rivals last played a T20I against each other in Colombo 14 years back, in 2012, with India coming out on top.
India and Pakistan battled it out in an important Super 8 match in Colombo during the 2012 T20 World Cup. The match marked India’s third win over the neighbours in the tournament’s history after previously beating them in the 2007 T20 World Cup – group stage game and the final.
For India, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh struck big with the ball, and their performance was the key in India bundling out Pakistan for just 128 in 19.4 overs. Even Virat Kohli left his mark with the ball, taking the wicket of Mohammad Hafeez. Balaji took three while Yuvraj and Ashwin scalped two each. For Pakistan, Shoaib Malik was the top scorer after he returned with a knock of 28 runs.
India then chased the target down with eight wickets in hand and 18 balls to spare. For MS Dhoni’s side, Kohli hit an unbeaten 78 to take the side over the line. India’s current head coach, Gautam Gambhir, was also part of the playing XI and was dismissed for a two-ball duck. For Pakistan, Raza Hasan and Shahid Afridi scalped a wicket each.
India’s superior head-to-head record
India boasts of a superior head-to-head record in the T20 World Cup against Pakistan. The two teams have played eight matches against each other, with India coming out on top on seven occasions.
Pakistan’s only victory over India in the T20 World Cup came in 2021 when Babar Azam-led side handed Virat Kohli’s team a ten-wicket hiding at the Dubai International Stadium.
Both India and Pakistan have won their opening two matches of the ongoing edition of the T20 World Cup. India defeated the USA and Namibia while Pakistan got the better of the Netherlands and the USA.
