India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy: The cricketing world is abuzz as one of the sport’s fiercest rivalries is set to reignite on Sunday (February 23), when India faces off against Pakistan at the Dubai Cricket Stadium in the highly anticipated ICC Champions Trophy clash.
While India boasts two Champions Trophy titles (2002, 2013), Pakistan will look to relive the glory of their stunning 2017 victory—their only triumph in the tournament’s history. Adding to the excitement, this year’s edition marks a historic moment for Pakistan, as the nation co-hosts an ICC event for the first time in 30 years.
Head to head stats
Despite their long-standing rivalry, India and Pakistan have only crossed paths five times in Champions Trophy history. Pakistan holds a narrow 3-2 edge over India in their head-to-head encounters.
2004 – Birmingham
Their first Champions Trophy clash saw India crumble to 200 all out, despite fighting knocks from Rahul Dravid (67) and Ajit Agarkar (47). Irfan Pathan gave India a glimmer of hope with early wickets, but a composed chase led by Mohammad Yousuf (81)* and Inzamam-ul-Haq (41) sealed the win for Pakistan.
2009 – Centurion
Pakistan continued their dominance with a strong batting display. Shoaib Malik’s 128 and Mohammad Yousuf’s 87 set a formidable target of 303. Despite Rahul Dravid’s 76 and Gautam Gambhir’s 57, India fell short by 54 runs.
2013 – Birmingham
India bounced back with a clinical win, restricting Pakistan to just 165 runs. The rain-revised chase saw Shikhar Dhawan’s 48 lead India to an easy eight-wicket victory, setting the stage for their eventual title win that year.
2017 – Birmingham
India squared the rivalry with a powerful batting performance, posting 319/3 thanks to stellar contributions from Rohit Sharma (91), Shikhar Dhawan (68), and Virat Kohli (81)*. The Indian bowlers wrapped up Pakistan’s innings for 164, sealing a dominant win.
2017 Final – The Oval
In a shocking twist, Pakistan stunned the cricket world by crushing India in the final. Fakhar Zaman’s sensational 114 and Azhar Ali’s 59 powered Pakistan to 338/4. India, overwhelmed by scoreboard pressure, folded for 158, handing Pakistan a memorable victory.