Is India vs Pakistan still a rivalry?
The recently concluded Asia Cup stirred up a storm of talking points — though hardly a few had to do with cricket itself. Among them was the recurring debate: is it justifiable to call India–Pakistan contests a ‘rivalry’ anymore?
Indian men’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav is of the opinion that we should not, for India have won all of their last eight matches across all formats against Pakistan.
But that is in men’s cricket. How does the scenario appear in women’s cricket?
It turns out that even the men’s dominance pales beside the women’s record. Over the past two decades, India and Pakistan have faced off 27 times across ODIs and T20Is. India have triumphed in 24 of those encounters — including a flawless 11–0 record in ODIs, with nearly every clash turning into a one-sided affair.
As India prepare to meet Pakistan in their second ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 fixture on Sunday, 5 October, the question looms larger than ever: can this really be called a rivalry?
Former India cricketer and JioStar expert Saba Karim doesn’t think so. Responding to The Quint’s query ahead of the India vs Pakistan clash in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, he explained:
For me, rivalry is when you see an even contest on the cricket field. One that conjures up images of passion and a lot of pressure-filled situations. That’s how I would define a rivalry. Rivalries have changed over the years, not just India–Pakistan, but also with other teams, where we’ve seen different momentum taking shape. A true rivalry comes when two sides are equally balanced, when they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and are willing to give more than 100% on the field. Now, it comes to India and Pakistan in women’s cricket, there is a huge gulf in quality. The Indian women’s team is far ahead in terms of resources, skill set, and the support they receive from the BCCI. All of that matters in the end, and it shows that India has moved well ahead of Pakistan. So, it's not much of a rivalry.Saba Karim
'Pakistan Don't Have The Quality To Capitalise On Single-Venue Advantage'
Following India’s triumph at the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year, logistical advantage was cited as one of the reasons behind the performance, with the team playing all of their matches in Dubai.
With Pakistan stationed entirely in Colombo for this World Cup, could a similar factor tilt the balance?
Karim dismissed the idea:
Well, you see, if you get to play all your games at one center, without any traveling, it is an advantage. But it depends on whether that advantage is made use of or not. You require a big team, a top-quality side, to capitalize on it. I don’t think Pakistan is at that stage where they can make use of these so-called venue advantages. We saw what transpired in their first match — they lost to Bangladesh despite spending a lot of time in Colombo. In the end, if you don’t have quality in your side, then without meaning any disrespect, you need to first develop a team that can beat top-quality opposition. Only then can you think of availing such advantages. At this stage, I don’t think they can.Saba Karim
No Handshakes Likely To Continue
Cricket aside — where, at least on paper, there’s daylight between India and Pakistan — non-cricketing gestures are likely to make it to the headlines for a fourth Sunday in the running, with reports claiming that the women’s team will emulate their male counterparts by avoiding handshakes with Pakistani cricketers.
On this, Karim was unequivocal:
I think the BCCI has made its stance very clear — that the Indian women’s team would also behave in the same manner as the men’s team did in the Asia Cup. Which means I don’t think the Indian women will be shaking hands with the Pakistani cricketers. That stance has been very clear, and I believe India will stick to it. Once you get past all that controversy and concentrate on the game, it becomes very easy. Initially, maybe there will be a little distraction here and there, but once you get onto the field, I think everyone will want to focus on the game.Saba Karim
(Catch INDIA vs PAKISTAN in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup India 2025, on October 5, LIVE on JioHotstar and the Star Sports Network).