COLOMBO (The Thursday Times) — The cricket teams of Pakistan and India will face each other today in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo (R Premadasa Cricket Stadium). This T20 World Cup 2026 group match has taken on great significance because of the military clashes and political tension between the two countries.
In view of the atmosphere of political tension between Pakistan and India, Pakistan is playing all its matches in Sri Lanka during the T20 World Cup 2026. Bangladesh, too, citing security concerns, requested that all its matches be moved out of India, but the ICC rejected Bangladesh's request, after which Bangladesh announced a boycott of the T20 World Cup 2026.
As a show of solidarity with Bangladesh, Pakistan refused to play its scheduled match against India in Colombo during the T20 World Cup 2026. However, following the ICC's intervention and a request from the cricket boards of Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan decided to play the match against India, and Bangladesh was also taken into confidence over the decision.
How many times have Pakistan and India faced each other on the grounds of T20 international cricket? Who has won how many times? Which players have stood out for their individual performances? And which players have topped the list for poor performances? To know all this, it is necessary to look at the Pakistan-India head-to-head records and stats in T20 cricket.
In the history of T20 cricket, a total of 16 matches have been played between the two countries, in which India holds a heavy advantage with 12 wins. Pakistan has managed to beat India only 3 times. In the first T20 match between the two countries, played during the T20 World Cup 2007, the scores finished level after a thrilling contest, and the match was declared a tie.
In the last 5 T20 matches between Pakistan and India, all five ended in victory for India, while Pakistan lost all five of them, which were played at the grounds in Melbourne, New York and Dubai.
The final of the 2007 T20 World Cup can be described as the most memorable Pakistan-India encounter. After an absorbing and thrilling contest, India won by 5 runs and claimed the first World Cup in the history of T20 international cricket.
As for the most runs by an individual in Pakistan-India T20 contests, the name that comes up is that of the Indian player Virat Kohli, who has scored 492 runs against Pakistan in 11 innings, including a brilliant innings of 82 and 5 half-centuries. Virat Kohli has hit 49 fours and 11 sixes against Pakistan, with an average of 70.28 and a strike rate of 123.92.
The Pakistani player with the most runs by an individual in Pakistan-India T20 contests is Mohammad Rizwan, who has so far scored 228 runs against India in 5 innings, including a best innings of 79 and 2 half-centuries. Mohammad Rizwan has hit 18 fours and 7 sixes against India, with an average of 57 and a strike rate of 111.76.
Virat Kohli's innings of 82 off just 53 balls, with 6 fours and 4 sixes, against Pakistan at Melbourne in October 2002 is the best innings by any player in Pakistan-India T20 contests.
Mohammad Rizwan's innings of 79 off just 55 balls, with 6 fours and 3 sixes, against India at Dubai in October 2021 is the best innings by any Pakistani player against India.
As for sixes in Pakistan-India T20 matches, the Indian batsman Virat Kohli is clearly ahead with 11, while Pakistan's Mohammad Farhan, with 9 sixes, and India's Yuvraj Singh, also with 9 sixes, stand out.
When it comes to dismissals for zero (a duck), India's Gautam Gambhir, Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma top the list, each having been dismissed for zero (a duck) twice while playing against Pakistan.
On the most wickets by an individual in Pakistan-India T20 matches, the name that comes up is India's Hardik Pandya, who has so far taken 15 wickets against Pakistan in 9 matches, bowling 27.3 overs and conceding 219 runs. Pandya, who has taken wickets against Pakistan at an average of 14.60 and bowled at an economy rate of 7.96, once sent 3 Pakistani players back to the pavilion for just 8 runs.
The Pakistani with the most wickets in Pakistan-India T20 matches is Umar Gul, who took 11 wickets against India in 6 matches, bowling 21.3 overs and conceding 178 runs. Gul, who has taken wickets against India at an average of 17.18 and bowled at an economy rate of 7.26, once dismissed 4 Indian players for just 26 runs.
On the best individual bowling in a single match in Pakistan-India T20 encounters, Pakistan's Mohammad Asif stands out. In the first Pakistan-India encounter in the history of T20 cricket, the important match of the 2007 T20 World Cup, at Durban (South Africa), he sent 4 Indian batters back to the pavilion for just 18 runs against India.
On the best individual bowling for India in a single match in Pakistan-India T20 encounters, the name that comes up is Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who took 3 wickets for just 26 runs against Pakistan in Dubai in August 2022.
When it comes to the most expensive bowler in a single match, the name that comes up is Haris Rauf, who in last year's Asia Cup (T20) final conceded 50 runs without taking a wicket in just 3.4 overs against India. Rauf's poor bowling, at an economy rate of 13.63, made Pakistan's defeat certain.
Today, 15 February, Pakistan and India will face each other once again, at Colombo in Sri Lanka. In the T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan are led by Salman Ali Agha, while the Indian side is captained by Suryakumar Yadav.
Will Pakistan be able to win a T20 match against India for the fourth time, or will India beat Pakistan for the 13th time and succeed in rubbing salt into the wounds of Pakistani cricket? Millions of cricket fans around the world have their eyes fixed on today's Pakistan-India clash to find out.
