India and Pakistan – two distinct yet similar nations, two rival neighbors yet having the same interests. There is nothing that comes close to India and Pakistan rivalry on the cricket field.

When both the teams are playing with one another in any of the sports it is bound to get maximum interest and viewership in both the countries and especially when the game is Gentlemen’s Sports – Cricket. Cricket match between India and Pakistan is considered as the battle of battles, the most intensified sports rivalries in the world and neither Indians nor Pakistanis like to lose. More then the pride of the players, it’s the pride of the nation that is at stake. The frenzy is such that not just the players are under pressure but the fans are too. But what makes India vs Pakistan Cricket rivalry worth watching?

Cricket is the most popular game in both countries. Despite sharing the same cricketing heritage, both the nations are staunch rivals. Both India and Pakistan are counted as heavyweights in the cricketing world as both have won world events quite regularly. There have been countless instances of people getting violent, damaging properties, thrashing Television sets, posting hatred on social media and despite the teams, coaches and players themselves appealing to people that this is just a game, in reality, everybody knows that it is not true. It’s more than a game. It’s the ultimate battle of supremacy. It’s the marquee sporting event.

India vs Pakistan Cricket Match is More Than a Game

There have been many instances when a top team didn’t perform well in the tournament. But the teams and fans will have a sense of victory as soon as they win against the old rival. The Indian Cricket team did not perform well in Cricket World Cup 1992 and Cricket World Cup 1999 but it did beat Pakistan in those two world cups. Many cricketers and viewers will rate India vs Pakistan match in World Cup 2003 as one of the best world cup matches. The happiness when India beats Pakistan is much more than when Australia beats England.

There will always be a political angle to India and Pakistan match or game. Whenever two countries have some political misunderstanding it always takes a toll on the India – Pakistan match. There were times when India Pakistan matches have been abandoned due to political turmoils. This has lead to very few games between India and Pakistan. Hence there is always a high tension when these two nations are playing and especially during World Cup matches. The ICC has always milked this opportunity and this is the main reason why India and Pakistan always end up in the same group in most of the major global events. Here is the example when both the teams were in the same group:

1) World Cups – 2003, 2015
2) Champions Trophy – 2009, 2013, 2017
3) World T20 – 2007, 2012, 2014, 2016

The Limited Overs Rivalry

India’s track record hasn’t been very impressive in the ODIs as compared to Pakistan’s. Pakistan has won almost 35% more matches than India against each other. ODIs were very popular in the 80s and 90s. There were times when bi-lateral series between the two sides could not be played in either of the countries due to political inconsistency and hence both the cricket boards chose a neutral venue, UAE. These Sharjah tournaments were held very frequently and usually involved a third or fourth team to make a proper tournament out of it.

India Pakistan Cricket Match Rivalry in ICC and Asia Cup events

The Indian team dominates the statistics here. The likes of Dhoni, Kohli, Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are the architects of India’s recent success against Pakistan. As far as T20s are concerned – again India dominates the stats having suffered only 1 loss. The most famous T20 games between the two teams came about in the 2007 inaugural World T20 Cup.

The rivalry has recently lost some of its sting given the fact that the Indian players, much like the country’s economic superiority, have been superior on the field as well. Due to reasons beyond control, Pakistan is unable to play ‘home’ matches at home starving it of the much needed fanatical home base support. It is also unable to host India thus being deprived of a vital source of income such a series could generate. Their board recently tried to sue the Indian Cricket Board (unsuccessfully) for compensation because India refused to play them. But don’t let that fool you, wait till the World Cup in England on 16 June 2019, where these two teams will clash with each other.

The bilateral cricket series between the 2 nations seems unlikely to resume soon, behold the frenzy till the ICC World Cup’s league match between the subcontinental rivals! So there you have it, cricket’s most hotly contested, followed and vibrant rivalry. The rivalry between these two teams has sometimes got out of hand – Indian players were pelted with stones in Karachi in 1997, while confusion over the legitimacy of Sachin’s run out in Kolkata in 1999 caused a commotion leading to fans being evicted from the stadium and the match completed before an empty stadium.

When India plays Pakistan, get ready for something special. Watch our special video on Who Will Win World Cup’19.

The marvelous journey of Indian cricket has seen many ups and down. From being played by men, women, and children irrespective of caste, creed, color, conviction, culture, cuisine, costume and customs, to becoming a religion in itself. Cricket is a game of masses. Over the course of many years, a lot of stalwarts have risen from this country and given performances that have made our country proud. The Cricket World Cup is the greatest prize in the Cricketing world and also the most coveted trophy that any Cricket playing nation can win. India has achieved this feat twice and brought home the Cricket World cups in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev and in 2011 under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (M.S. Dhoni). Can India repeat history? Can India win the Cricket World Cup 2019?

The Indian team has been considered as one of the finest teams in the cricket world for quite a few years now. The team has an almost unbreakable unity and a winning mentality, that enables them to perform well on the pitch in all departments. A lot of experts back the Men in Blue to lift the trophy at Lord’s Stadium on 14th of July 2019 – the ultimate battle of grit and glory.

Here are 4 top reasons why #ViratKohli and #TeamIndia can win #CWC19.

1) The X factor of Team India  – Virat Kohli 

If in the recent time of this fast-evolving cricket format. There is only one batsman who can strike fear in the hearts of opposition teams and tear down the best bowling attacks of the world at his will, and the name is Virat “Run Machine” Kohli from Team India. The daredevil right-handed batsman is a clean striker of the ball and is by far, the best cricketer in world cricket today. He has taken the mantle of captaincy from M.S. Dhoni to another level with his aggression and fitness. He leads the Men in Blue with full confidence and a winning attitude. Though Virat’s captaincy record is not as good as M.S. Dhoni or Sourav Ganguly, he still has miles to go. The good thing is the number of records Virat Kohli has made and broken. From his career statistics, he is an asset for Team Indian. Virat Kohli would be desperate to rebrand his image as the third Indian captain to prove his mettle by lifting the ultimate World Cup.

2) The strongest batting lineup of World Cup 2019

Today in the T20 era, Cricket is more of a batsmen’s game than a bowler’s game. Currently, a high scoring match is very common, no matter what the pitch is. Even chasing a 300+ score is very common nowadays. The Indian Team has the finest hitters available in its arsenals like Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. They both together form one of the finest opening pairs of modern Cricket. Power of KL Rahul with the bat is great and we have seen that from time to time. Hardik Pandya is another batsman who can play in any position given the circumstances. Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, and Dinesh Karthik will bring with them tonnes of experience that helps them to control the pace of the match as and when required. The lower batting order has the ex-captain M.S. Dhoni whose batting skills need no introduction and is very much capable to play under stress. Kedar Jadhav & Ravindra Jadeja are the best all-rounders of the Indian team right now. With such an impressive lineup of batsmen, the Indian team can surely do wonders in London.

3) The most unpredictable and deadliest bowling attack

Team India has always faced a problem with its bowling lineup. There was always a lack of bowlers, especially in the death overs. There was no consistent bowler in Team India capable of performing on a regular basis as a match winner. In each and every cricket series different bowlers perform rather than a consistent bowler. Often it is seen that team India has always some tricks in their sleeves. Bowlers like Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah are a gift to the current team India as they can shift the match anytime they want by restricting the other’s team run flow and taking wickets at regular intervals. Kedar Jadhav is another bowler who can create magic with the new ball. Hardik Pandya will be the one bowler who can rise to any expectations and can perform when the team India needs it the most. Men in Blue consist of some world-class spinners. Currently, the most experienced spinner is Ravindra Jadeja followed by Kuldeep Yadav who is often touted as chinaman of India. India’s trump card could be spinner named Yuzvendra Chahal. This bowling attack is a deadly combo and can turn the tables anytime.

4) The master tactician in MS Dhoni

M.S. Dhoni the man with the Midas touch may have lost the Midas touch but his mere presence can make a difference. The de facto leader of Men in Blue, MSD is one of the best wicketkeepers in Cricket history and India is super blessed to have him. After leaving captaincy he has been mentoring Virat and others. He is always involved in the game and his presence of mind and judgment are worth acknowledging. As many have predicted that this is MSD’s last World Cup as a player and he would like to end it on a high note. MSD deserves a marvelous farewell just like Sachin Tendulkar and that is only possible if India is able to lift the World Cup 2019. As middle order is little inexperienced, MSD is the only trump card of India right now. MSD has rich experience as a batsman and he has a huge pressure on himself to deliver it. The top order will do its job but India needs MSD to finish the match on the winning side. 

So here is the team which is going to represent India in the Cricket World Cup 2019. Are you going to support team India in winning the World Cup 2019? If yes, then watch this video

If you are not supporting Team India then do tell us in the comments who will win the ICC World Cup 2019?