IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup: History in the making in hysterical match-up

India to take on Pakistan on June 9 in T20 World Cup 2024

India versus Pakistan in the history of T20 World Cups is a notable contest, with a lot of historical value. Hold it. We are not talking only about that last ball by Joginder Sharma, that catch by Sreesanth to stop Misbah-ul Haq from winning that inaugural edition in 2007. That, obviously, was a huge moment which changed the course of T20 cricket altogether.

Before that momentous match, the two teams, India and Pakistan, facing off in New York on Sunday had played out a remarkable match. It remains the only bowl-out in the annals of T20 World Cups. That rule has subsequently been replaced with the Super Over, but it was quite a sight — cricket’s equivalent of a football tie-breaker. Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Robin Uthappa were spot on and won it for India. Uthappa’s ‘taking a bow celebration’ was one of the most unique ones seen on  a cricket field.

If you are a fan of the Men in Blue, you must also remember that India’s only defeat against Pakistan in any World Cup happened in the T20 format. It was a sound, 10-wicket thrashing in Dubai in 2021. Quite a record it is otherwise, that India have never lost to their traditional cricket rivals in World Cups of the 50 and 20-over varieties.

Will that record receive another boost? Tricky, very tricky question it is. On paper, India are definitely a better side than the one which lost to the USA a few days ago. With Pakistan, this gap between potential and performance continues to be a wide one. As long as that remains, they will always be underdogs before a match against India.

Check: India vs Pakistan Live Score

However, there is a difference this time. One defeat from elimination, Pakistan have every reason to throw everything at India, including the proverbial kitchen sink. They have a lot at stake, which makes them a highly dangerous opposition, especially the fast bowlers. Rohit Sharma and his boys will have to be at their cautious best at least for a while before they press the attack button.

This paves the way for a potentially fascinating match in a place cricket is looking to break fresh ground. The characters in this duel are not new. The backdrop is. That’s what makes this a match to look forward to, other than the typical India-Pakistan narrative. Yes, there is a lot of history involving the two, but what we have in front of us is history in the making.

In exclusive arrangement with RevSportz