Every India vs Pakistan match in T20 World Cup history

Rewind and look back at the 8 times India have faced Pakistan in T20 World Cups – going back to the historic Johannesburg final, and all the way to New York.

India vs Pakistan matches in the T20 World Cup haven’t made for the most thrilling rivalry, at least in terms of how close the teams have been. The truth is that India has regularly had the rub of the green over their neighbours – eight matches ranging back to 2007, only one of which was won by Pakistan.

A joyous Virat Kohli celebrates after India's famous victory over Pakistan at the MCG. (Getty Images)

The often-touted 7-1 scoreline could get uglier for Pakistan when the teams meet in Colombo on Sunday evening, but the team’s aim will be to make things just a little closer. Here is a look at each of the eight matches in the World T20S that the teams have played thus far.

WT20 2007, Group Stage, Durban – match tied, India win in bowl-out

The famous bowl-out match after the two rivals started their head-to-head off in dramatic fashion. Robin Uthappa’s half-century in Durban helped the Indians to 141, before the bowlers held off Misbah-ul-Haq’s charge to keep things level at the conclusion of the match. In a dramatic bowl-out tie-breaker, Pakistan’s players didn’t manage to hit the target once – MS Dhoni turned to Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, and Uthappa, each of whom went bang-bang-bang to seal the points in a memorable first encounter.

WT20 2007, Final, Johannesburg – India win by 5 runs

Now an iconic match in India’s sporting history, the result in an absolute thriller that made India the inaugural World T20 champions. In Johannesburg, a rematch of the thriller a couple of weeks earlier, and India once again batted first. This time, current Indian coach Gautam Gambhir scored 75 opening the batting, a crucial innings supported by Rohit Sharma’s blitz in the middle order to reach 157.

In response, Pakistan looked on their way to chase down the total, particularly with Misbah once again looking in top touch. However, wickets fell consistently at the other end, with RP Singh and Irfan Pathan taking 3 wickets each. Despite this, it went all the way down to Joginder Sharma’s famous last over. With Pakistan needing just one hit to win, Misbah tried a scoop shot, an image now ingrained in the minds of millions. He didn’t get enough on it – and Sreesanth coolly collected the catch to bring the trophy home for Dhoni’s men.

WT20 2012, Group Stage, Colombo – India win by 7 wickets

Beginning a stretch of Pakistan’s batting simply not able to challenge the firepower India possessed, this group stage contest in Colombo saw a Virat Kohli special easily steer India home in the second innings – and this won’t be the last time you read that. None of the Pakistan batters could reach even 30 runs as the team were bowled out for 128, and in truth, despite Sehwag being dismissed on a duck, it was a formality from there.

Kohli struck 78* off 61 deliveries, easing India home with 7 wickets in the bank and three overs to spare.

WT20 2014, Super 10s, Dhaka – India win by 7 wickets

Rinse and repeat. Two years after the Colombo win, once again, the Pakistan batting couldn’t get going, limping to 130/7. It was never going to be enough – contributions from the Indian top order, as Virat Kohli once again remained unbeaten in the chase, batting on 36* and hardly breaking a sweat as the team eased past their rivals. At this stage, it looks like the trends of the two teams are taking them worlds apart.

WT20 2016, Super 10s, Kolkata – India win by 6 wickets

And it continued to be the case. Albeit on a much trickier surface where run-scoring proved extremely difficult, it was advantage India right from the off. Pakistan lost only 5 wickets, but limped their way to a total of 118 – indicative of the fact that this was a pitch almost impossible to score on. India were in a spot of bother at 23/3 five overs into the chase, and Pakistan had a chance – but this was the kind of slightly tricky but ultimately achievable chase that 2016 Virat Kohli was eating for breakfast, lunch, and twice for dinner.

55*(37), batting on a completely different planet than anyone else in this match, and India’s guiding hand as they beat their rivals for a fifth consecutive time in the T20 World Cups.

WT20 2021, Group Stage, Dubai – Pakistan win by 10 wickets

At long last, joy for Pakistan in a tournament setting. The infamous 10-wicket victory, with Shaheen Shah Afridi making a mess of the top order. Six years removed from their last contest, this was the time Pakistan gave India a taste of their own medicine – 151 was never going to be enough on a Dubai surface where chasing was the nom de guerre. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan coasted to victory without losing a wicket, and never even looking close to losing a wicket.

India’s most disappointing ICC tournament campaign since the 2007 ODI World Cup, and one defined by this loss to their harshest rivals.

WT20 2022, Group Stage, Melbourne – India win by 4 wickets

For the first time in 15 years, India and Pakistan played out a T20 thriller true to the word. The images and moments from Melbourne are well-known – a match which venerated Virat Kohli. Pakistan’s total of 159 wasn’t daunting, but when India found themselves at 31/4, disoriented and staring down consecutive losses, it looked a million miles away.

Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya chipped away, slowly and steadily, but always within arm’s length. They were at the crease when India needed 48 off 3 overs, and faith steadily ebbed away. But then came that Haris Rauf over. And then came that iconic six right back over his head.

That’s what it is remembered for, but don’t forget the chaos of that last over–no–balls, wickets, run-outs, wide balls, and finally, to settle it, Ravichandran Ashwin chipping it over the head of cover, cool as ice.

WT20 2024, Group Stage, New York – India win by 6 runs

This time, in New York, a low-scoring thriller, and one which set the tone for India’s first ICC trophy in 11 years. New York was known to be a ground on which it was nearly impossible to score runs by now, so India’s total of 119 all-out was frankly not too far off par. However, it would still need something incredible to pull off a win – good thing that India had a certain Jasprit Bumrah in their ranks.

Bumrah bowled his 4 overs and finished with figures of 3/14, including the wicket of the well-set Mohammad Rizwan with a devilish off-cutter that moved almost like a googly. By the time the last couple of overs rolled around, India had reached their mark – beating Pakistan, making it 7-1, en route to the trophy.