The cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan goes beyond merely being a sports event. It is also an encounter between two of the world’s cricketing behemoths underpinned by strong emotions, history, and politics felt by hundreds of millions of followers. When these two teams come face to face, the world pauses to view.
We invite you to explore the India National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team timeline. We’ll cover the initial encounter to historic games, memorable moments, to the statistics behind one of the greatest cricket rivalries.
Let’s get started!
India and Pakistan share one of the most intense rivalries in world cricket, rooted in history, passion, and national pride. India became a Test-playing nation in 1932, while Pakistan gained Test status soon after its independence in 1952. Their first encounter came that same year, marking the beginning of a fierce sporting rivalry. Over the decades, matches between India and Pakistan have gone beyond cricket, drawing massive global audiences. From Test battles to World Cup clashes, every encounter carries immense emotion, making it one of the most celebrated rivalries in sports history.
The rivalry between India and Pakistan officially began in 1952 when Pakistan toured India for its first-ever Test series. In this test series of the India national cricket team vs the Pakistan national cricket team timeline, India dominated the visitors and won it by 2-1. This series marked the start of competitive cricket between two Asian nations.
Players like Vinoo Mankad and Hanif Mohammad became early heroes in this rivalry.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, both teams continued to clash, but the matches were often slow-paced. Both Asian teams relied heavily on bowlers.
During this era, cricket was still at a nascent stage in South Asia. However, the seeds of a rivalry were already sown between these nations.
In the 1980s, the India national cricket team vs Pakistan national cricket team timeline intensified, and they clashed frequently in one-day internationals or ODIs. The Sharjah Cup became the stage for many clashes between India and Pakistan.
The ODI clashes intensified the rivalry and established India-Pakistan matches as global spectacles. They started drawing significant crowds and TV audiences.
This Asia Cup became legendary for its final match. In the final, the Pakistan team won the game by just one wicket. This match became legendary because of Javed Miandad’s last-ball six off Chetan Sharma. This match cemented Pakistan’s dominance in the Sharjah Cup and added an emotional element to the India-Pakistan Rivalry.
The 1990s in the Pakistan national cricket team vs the India national cricket team timeline were formidable years. This decade cemented India vs Pakistan rivalry as the biggest rivalry in cricket.
By the end of the decade, cricket matches between India and Pakistan became one of the most-watched sporting events in the subcontinent.
It was one of the most significant series of the time because India travelled to Pakistan after 15 years. This element brought high emotions and thrilling cricket for fans. Virender Sehwag’s explosive starts and Rahul Dravid’s calm finishing helped India clinch a historic series win by 3-2 on Pakistani soil.
Just before this series, India played Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup. In that World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar’s 98 against Shoaib Akhtar is one of the greatest innings from the god of cricket.
India and Pakistan only meet in the ICC events or ACC events. Both teams have not played bilateral cricket since 2013 due to political tensions between the two nations.
The last time they played each other in ODIs was in the Champions Trophy 2025. India won that comfortably.
We’ve only included series with some significance in this table.
| Year | Host | Matches | Result |
| 1985 | UAE | – | Pakistan won |
| 1989 | Pakistan | 3 | Pakistan won 2-0 |
| 2003 | Pakistan | 5 | India won 3-2 |
| 2012 | India | 3 | India won 2-1 |
| 2025 | UAE | 3 | India won 3-0 |
India and Pakistan have had one of the fiercest rivalries in Test match cricket history. Their first Test match was played in 1952 at Delhi shortly after the independence of Pakistan, which established a cricketing relationship steeped in history; India went onto win that Test match, showing that they are the stronger side when playing at home.
There have been some memorable clashes in the years since that showcase the drama and emotion of Test match cricket – despite interruptions from the political sphere, there have been some instances where series have not been played regularly. Although Pakistan has produced some very strong pace attacks and India has produced some great batting line-ups, there have been some very strong contests that have gone either way.
1999: A drawn series with a 1-1 scoreline. However, Sachin Tendulkar’s heroic 136 in pain became one of the most emotional innings.
2004: India toured Pakistan after many years, and fans got to see some memorable moments and cricketing excellence. Virender Sehwag’s triple century from Multan also became legendary from that tour.
2007: Pakistan visited India for three three-Test series. It was one of the hard-fought series by Pakistan. In the end, India managed to win by 1-0. It was the last Test series between the two neighboring nations.
The 2000s of the India national cricket team vs Pakistan national cricket team timeline were marked by both thrilling cricket and strained political relations. In the late 2000s, political tensions between these two nations were heightened.
We have not included drawn series in this table.
| Year | Host | Matches | Result |
| 1952 | India | 5 | India won 2-1 |
| 1978 | Pakistan | 3 | Pakistan won 2-0 |
| 1979 | India | 6 | India won 2-0 |
| 1982 | Pakistan | 6 | Pakistan won 3-0 |
| 1986 | Pakistan | 5 | Pakistan 1-0 |
| 2003 | Pakistan | 3 | India 2-1 |
| 2005 | Pakistan | 3 | Pakistan 1-0 |
| 2007 | India | 3 | India 1-0 |
The Rivalry entered a new era with the T20 internationals, with new stars taking center stage from both countries. India played their first game with Pakistan on September 14, 2007, in the first T20I World Cup. The match was tied at the end of the proceedings, and the winner was decided with a bowl-out. Subsequently, India won that match.
Now, stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, and Shaheen Shah Afridi are taking the rivalry forward.
| Year | Host | Matches | Result |
| 2007 | South Africa | 2 | India won 2-0 |
| 2012 | Sri Lanka | 1 | India won |
| 2014 | Bangladesh | 1 | India won |
| 2016 | India | 2 | India won 2-0 |
| 2021 | Dubai | 1 | Pakistan won |
| 2022 | Australia | 1 | India won |
| 2024 | USA | 1 | India won |
| 2025 | Dubai | 3 | India won 3-0 |
| Format | Matches Played | India Wins | Pakistan Wins | Draw/No Result |
| Test | 59 | 9 | 12 | 38 |
| ODI | 136 | 58 | 73 | 5 |
| T20I | 15 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| ICC Events | 22 | 18 | 4 | 0 |
As you can see from the above table, India dominates the Pakistan team in the ICC events, particularly World Cups. However, Pakistan has an edge over India in bilateral ODIs. Even in Tests, Pakistan has a few extra wins; most Tests have been drawn.
| Year | Tournament/Series | Result | Winner | Key Performers |
| 2022 | Asia Cup (T20) | India won by 5 wickets | India | Hardik Pandya (All-round) |
| 2022 | Asia Cup Super 4 | Pakistan won by 5 wickets | Pakistan | Mohammad Nawaz (Match-winner) |
| 2022 | T20 World Cup | India won by 4 wickets | India | Virat Kohli – 82*(53) |
| 2023 | Asia Cup (ODI) | Washed out (Group Stage) | – | Rain |
| 2023 | Asia Cup Super 4 (ODI) | India won by 228 runs | India | Virat Kohli, KL Rahul centuries |
| 2023 | ICC World Cup (ODI) | India won by 7 wickets | India | Rohit Sharma – 86 (63) |
| 2024 | T20 World Cup | Pakistan won by 6 wickets | Pakistan | Babar Azam – 72 (45) |
| 2025 | Asia Cup (T20) | India won by 7 wickets | India | Kuldeep Yadav (3/18) |
| 2025 | Asia Cup (T20) | India won by 6 wickets | India | Abhishek Sharma – 74 (39) |
| 2025 | Asia Cup (T20) | India won by 5 wickets | India | Tilak Verma – 69 (53) |
India
Pakistan
| Category | India | Pakistan |
| Highest Team Score | 356/9 (2023 Asia Cup) | 344/8 (2004 ODI) |
| Best Bowling | 6/23 by Arshdeep Singh | 7/37 by Shahid Afridi |
| Most Runs vs Rival | Sachin Tendulkar – 2,526 | Inzamam-ul-Haq – 2,403 |
| Most Wickets | Anil Kumble – 54 | Wasim Akram – 60 |
The India National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team timeline is a journey through history; a long history filled with drama, unforgettable performances, and unmatched emotions.
From the first Test in 1952 to the T20 battles of the present, this rivalry has defined cricket for generations. It has been the most highlighted match of international cricket for as long as I can remember. Even though political affairs at times prevent regular bilateral series between the two teams, fans of all ages and from everywhere will continue to follow and watch every contest between India and Pakistan.
No question about it; when India and Pakistan play each other, it is not just cricket, it is history in the making!
Read Next: India National Cricket Team vs Bangladesh National Cricket Team Timeline: Complete History
Ans: Out of 210 total games played between the two teams, Pakistan has won 88 games, compared to India’s 79 games.
Ans: Both teams faced each other 8 times in ODI World Cups, and India won all the encounters.
Ans: Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 2,526 runs in the India and Pakistan ODI games is unmatched.
