What happened when India last played Pakistan on Shivratri

India vs Pakistan on Shivratri: Sachin Tendulkar played an innings which is still talked about decades later when IND last played a game against PAK on Shivratri.

Written by Saurabh Ganguly

Updated: February 15, 2026 18:03 IST

IND vs PAK last time they played in Shivratri

IND vs PAK: Last time the arch-rivals met on Shivratri Tendulkar played a legendary innings. (Photo Source: ICC /BCCI)

Cricket fans still remember Sachin Tendulkar‘s 98 off 75 balls against Pakistan in the ICC World Cup 2003 at Centurion. Chasing a challenging 274, Tendulkar took on a fearsome Pakistani pace attack- Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi, with a masterclass that combined precision, aggression and nerve

The highlight: a blistering upper-cut six over third man off Shoaib Akhtar in the second over, a shot that still brings fans to their feet decades later. With 12 fours and that iconic six, Tendulkar steered India to a thrilling victory with 26 balls to spare, showing why he is rightly called the God of Cricket by millions of fans.

98 runs from 75 balls ✅
Player of the match ✅
Pass 12,000 ODI runs ✅@sachin_rt played yet another masterclass against Pakistan at the 2003 Cricket World Cup 👌#Sachin45 pic.twitter.com/AQfBc6Sgbh
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) April 24, 2018

IND vs PAK World Cup in 2003 was on Shivratri much like T20 World Cup 2026 clash

Fast forward to 2026 and history feels like it’s repeating itself India and Pakistan meet once again, this time in the T20 World Cup, on the auspicious day of Maha Shivratri, just like in 2003. The stakes are enormous, the rivalry intense and the expectations sky-high.

From Tendulkar to the next chapter

While Tendulkar’s 98 remains one of the most celebrated ODI innings of all time, today’s match will feature India stars like Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan among others and will hope to produce an innings which has a similar impact but in the T20I format.

Cricket fans will be watching, praying and cheering because when India meet Pakistan on a day like this, it is never just a match. It’s a story of legacy, rivalry and perhaps a little bit of divine coincidence, popular referred to as the ‘Kudrat ka Nizam’ in Pakistan.

India vs Pakistan squads T20 World Cup 2026

India squad: Ishan Kishan (wickekeeper), Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar

Pakistan squad: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha (captain), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza, Khawaja Nafay

This article was first uploaded on February fifteen, twenty twenty-six, at twenty-six minutes past eleven in the morning.