Emotions, drama, rivalry, patriotism, and even money¡ªwhatever you call it, when it comes to the International Cricket Council (ICC), you can always expect India and Pakistan to be paired in the same group. So, it was no surprise that when the Champions Trophy 2025 schedule was announced, the two neighboring nations were placed in the same pool.
While Pakistani fans¡ªwho have a deep admiration for Virat Kohli¡ªwere hoping that the Indian government would allow the Men in Blue to travel to Pakistan for the games, their hopes were dashed when the hybrid model was announced.
For those unfamiliar, the Indian cricket team has not toured Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, although Pakistan visited India for a series in 2012-13. Additionally, India has not permitted Pakistani players to compete in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since its inaugural season in 2008.
However, the two countries do face off in ICC tournaments, and this is where the cricket boards seize the opportunity to ensure they are placed in the same group. Now, with Pakistan set to host the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, India¡¯s demand for a neutral venue for the tournament was met, with Dubai being selected as the neutral location.?
As we look ahead to the IND vs PAK match on February 23 in Dubai, let's take a look at their head-to-head record in the Champions Trophy. While India has generally had a strong record in ICC tournaments, Pakistan holds a slight edge in this tournament. The Men in Green has won three of the five meetings between the two sides. Indian fans will be hoping the record is equalized, and if the teams meet twice, they may even surpass Pakistan's advantage in Dubai.?
Let's recap the previous Champions Trophy clashes between India and Pakistan:
In the game led by Sourav Ganguly for India and Inzamam-ul-Haq for Pakistan, it turned out to be a closely contested match at Edgbaston, Birmingham. For India, Rahul Dravid was the top scorer, making 67 off 108 balls, while Ajit Agarkar scored 47 off 50, taking India's total to 200 all out in 49.5 overs. For Pakistan, bowlers Naved-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Akhtar both claimed 4 wickets each.
In reply, Mohammad Yousuf's unbeaten 84 and Inzamam-ul-Haq's 41 off 79 sealed the victory for Pakistan. Indian pacer Irfan Pathan picked up three wickets, while Yuvraj Singh had one to his name, as Pakistan reached 201/7 in 49.2 overs.?
In the Group A clash at Centurion, MS Dhoni captained India, while Younis Khan led Pakistan. Batting first, Pakistan's Shoaib Malik scored a brilliant 128 off 126 balls, and Mohammad Yousuf contributed 87 off 88. Together, they put on a 206-run partnership, which became Pakistan's highest-ever 4th-wicket partnership in ODIs at that time. For India, pacers Ashish Nehra (4 wickets) and Ishant Sharma (2 wickets) helped limit Pakistan to 302/9 in their allotted 50 overs.?
In reply, Rahul Dravid was the highest scorer for India with 76 off 103 balls, while Gautam Gambhir made 57 off 46. However, as wickets kept falling, India could only manage 248 all out in 44.5 overs. Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Amir, and Naved-ul-Hasan all took two wickets each.?
In the Group B match at Birmingham, Pakistan was led by Misbah-ul-Haq, while India was captained by MS Dhoni. Batting first, the Men in Green could only manage 165 all out in 39.4 overs. Asad Shafiq scored 41 off 57 balls, while Umar Amin remained unbeaten on 27 off 26. For India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja each picked two wickets.
In reply, India's opening was strong as Shikhar Dhawan scored 48 off 41 balls, while Rohit Sharma made 18 off 32. Virat Kohli (22 off 27) and Dinesh Karthik (11 off 15) remained unbeaten, taking India to 102/2 in 19.1 overs. Wahab Riaz and Saeed Ajmal took one wicket each, but it wasn¡¯t enough.?
In the 4th Match of Group B in Birmingham, India was led by Virat Kohli, while Sarfaraz Ahmed captained Pakistan. Batting first, India posted 319/3 in 48 overs. The entire top order fired, starting with Rohit Sharma (91 off 119), Shikhar Dhawan (68 off 65), Virat Kohli (81* off 68), Yuvraj Singh (53 off 32), and Hardik Pandya (20 off 6). Hasan Ali and Shadab Khan each took a wicket, but the damage had already been done.?
In reply, Pakistan was bowled out for just 164 in 33.4 overs. Azhar Ali scored 50 off 65 balls, while Mohammad Hafeez added 33 off 43, but it wasn't enough as the batting collapsed. Umesh Yadav picked up three wickets, while Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja took two each, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed one.?
However, the two sides met in the final, and the Men in Green took their revenge. Batting first, Fakhar Zaman smashed 114 off 106 balls, while Azhar Ali scored 59 off 71. Babar Azam (46 off 52), Mohammad Hafeez (57* off 37), and Imad Wasim (25* off 21) helped take Pakistan's total to 338/4 in 50 overs. For India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, and Kedar Jadhav each picked up one wicket.
In reply, India got off to a poor start, with Rohit Sharma departing for a duck, and the rest followed suit. Hardik Pandya smashed 76 off 43 balls, while Yuvraj Singh scored 22 off 31. Shikhar Dhawan (21 off 22) and Ravindra Jadeja (15 off 26) added a few runs, but it wasn¡¯t enough, as India was all out for 158 runs in 30.3 overs. Hasan Ali and Mohammad Amir took three wickets each, while Shadab Khan had two. Junaid Khan also took one.
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