For decades, the India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry was the most electrifying spectacle in world cricket. It was never just about runs and wickets but about history, identity and pride. Stadiums would overflow, television screens across South Asia would freeze households in anticipation and players were transformed into larger-than-life figures. Today, what was once cricket’s fiercest contest feels hollow, reduced to occasional one-sided matches in ICC tournaments. The rivalry is still alive in memory, but on the field it is steadily dying.
Partition’s Legacy, Cricket’s Battleground
When India and Pakistan first met in 1952, the symbolism went beyond sport. Partition had divided families, communities and territories and cricket became one of the ways in which the two nations measured themselves against each other. Through the decades, the rivalry produced unforgettable moments.
Javed Miandad’s last-ball six in Sharjah in 1986 became folklore. Wasim Akram’s reverse swing made him a tormentor of Indian batsmen. Sachin Tendulkar’s innings at Centurion in 2003 remains etched in memory, as does Virat Kohli’s extraordinary knock at Melbourne in 2022. These contests were festivals of passion and theatre, where victory meant national glory and defeat left lasting scars.
Once Fierce, Now Routine : Pakistan Falter in Rivalry
In recent years, however, the sense of drama has been replaced by predictability. In the last decade of ICC tournaments, India has largely dominated Pakistan. Apart from the famous ten-wicket win in Dubai in 2021, most encounters have been one-sided. In the 2023 World Cup at Ahmedabad, Pakistan went from 155 for two to 191 all out before India coasted to victory.
In the 2025 Asia Cup, the imbalance was even more glaring. Pakistan were first bundled out for 127 in a group match that India won by seven wickets. Only days later in the Super Four stage, India cruised to another easy win by six wickets. These results have hardened the perception that Pakistan cannot compete with India on the biggest stages and that has dulled the rivalry’s appeal.
The Numbers Tell the Story
The numbers underline the problem. Pakistan has never beaten India in an ODI World Cup match. Across eight meetings in the tournament, India has won every time. In the T20 World Cup, India has won seven of eight games against Pakistan, with only the 2021 clash in Dubai breaking the pattern.
At the 2025 Champions Trophy, India again outclassed Pakistan and the match went on to become the most watched ODI in Indian television history, drawing more than 200 million viewers and generating over 26 billion minutes of watch time. Even the 2023 Asia Cup carried a painful reminder of imbalance, with India inflicting a record 228-run defeat on Pakistan.
Two Economies, Two Realities
One explanation for this imbalance lies in the contrasting cricket economies of the two countries. India has built the IPL into the most powerful league in the world, creating pathways for young players to gain financial security and exposure. An Indian teenager can find himself sharing a dressing room with Pat Cummins or Jos Buttler, learning the game at the highest level. By the time he plays for India, he has already been battle-hardened.
Pakistan does not provide similar opportunities. Shahzaib Khan, who scored a century against India in the Under-19 Asia Cup, has all but disappeared from view, missing out on PSL exposure that could have propelled his career. Domestic earnings illustrate the disparity further. A Ranji Trophy player in India can earn around sixty thousand rupees a day, which in a four-day game amounts to roughly 2,800 US dollars.
In Pakistan’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, players earn about eighty thousand rupees for an entire match, which converts to less than 300 US dollars. That income does not allow a player to pay for proper nutrition, fitness or family needs, yet he is expected to compete with fully supported international professionals.
The National T20 Cup in 2025 was another example of undervaluation. Players were initially offered ten thousand rupees per match, the equivalent of thirty-five dollars, before an outcry led to an increase to thirty thousand rupees, about one hundred dollars.
Even then, it was hardly enough to reinvest into training and recovery. In India, by contrast, even players who never make it to the IPL can live comfortably on domestic cricket alone. It is no surprise that several Pakistani cricketers, including Hammad Azam, Sami Aslam and Hassan Khan have left the country in search of better opportunities abroad.
Player Welfare and Constant Instability
The struggles are not limited to domestic cricketers. Even centrally contracted players often complain of being neglected. Aamir Jamal’s recent experience is telling. When he went to the UK to play county cricket, he reportedly had to pay his own way despite being under central contract. That lack of institutional support damages morale and reputation.
Underlying these issues is the instability of the Pakistan Cricket Board. In the past five years the PCB has had more than four different chairmen, each bringing his own team and policies and each undoing what the previous regime introduced. Under Ramiz Raja, the Pakistan Junior League was launched in 2022 but scrapped within months by his successor.
Under Ehsan Mani, departmental cricket was abolished overnight, throwing thousands of cricketers out of jobs only for it to be later reinstated under another chairman. Most recently Mohsin Naqvi introduced the Champions Cup with promises of it being Pakistan’s premier talent pool, but it too was abandoned after just one season. Such chopping and changing denies players stability and makes planning a career impossible.
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Passion Intact, Balance Missing
Despite these issues, the passion of the fans is still immense. The 2025 Champions Trophy match between India and Pakistan became the most watched ODI ever in India, proving that the appetite remains.
More than two hundred million tuned in and on digital platforms the match crossed six hundred million streams. Globally, the tournament produced record-breaking viewership. The audience is there, the anticipation is there, but the contest itself no longer matches the hype.
Can the Flame Be Rekindled
For the rivalry to feel alive again, Pakistan must reform its domestic structure and place genuine emphasis on player welfare. Match fees must be raised to professional levels, career paths must be consistent and international exposure must be reliable. Bilateral series are also essential. Without regular cricket, there is no rhythm to the rivalry. Without balance in results, there is no drama.
A Rivalry Remembered More Than Lived
The India vs Pakistan cricket rivalry is not yet dead, but it is badly weakened. It thrives on fan passion and record-breaking numbers, but falters on the field because of lopsided results and chronic mismanagement. India’s system is producing a steady stream of ready-made stars.
Pakistan’s system is struggling to even sustain its existing players. Unless Pakistan builds consistent structures, protects player welfare and restores stability in administration, the rivalry will remain more about nostalgia than reality. For now, it is a rivalry remembered more than it is lived.
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