On June 4, 2017, team India won their Champions Trophy campaign, defeating the arch rivals Pakistan by a huge margin. In the rain-struck match, Team India outclassed Pakistan and won the match by 124 runs through the DLS method. The match in Edgbaston started under a cloudy sky, and according to the weather forecast, rain came to join the party. 

India was on top of their game from the beginning. Rohit Sharma could've easily gotten his ODI hundred if he didn't get run out. After his 91-run knock, Shikhar Dhawan (68), captain Virat Kohli (81*), Yuvraj Singh (53), and Hardik Pandya (20*) through their collective effort, guided the team total to 319 for 3 in 48 overs. Later, through the DLS method, the target was reduced to 289 in 41 overs. 

Despite the reducing targets, Pakistan was way more behind than India. Pakistan, led by Sarfaraz Ahmed, ended their innings with only 164 runs after losing all of their men within the allocated overs. 

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Yuvraj Singh was chosen man of the match for his quick-paced 32-ball, 53-run innings. On the other side, apart from Azhar Ali, Pakistan failed to produce any blistering innings. Ali solidified one side of the wicket with his 50-run innings facing 65 balls. Umesh Yadav, who took 3 scalps, and the rest of the Indian bowling line-up caused the Pakistan batting line-up to collapse. Pandya and Jadeja claimed a brace each. 

Pakistan lost the match after playing 33.4 overs and scoring 164 runs. India won the match by 124 runs. But they weren't able to win the championship despite getting a spot in the final match. 

The Asia Cup 2025 is expected to begin on September 5 and fans can look forward to seeing India and Pakistan play each other at least twice. The final schedule will be decided when the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meets later this month. Six teams will take part: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and the UAE. The UAE will help host the tournament.

The Times of India reports suggest that the tournament will last 17 days. The first match is planned for September 5, and the final on September 21. India and Pakistan are expected to play first on September 7 and possibly again on September 14. Most teams are close to getting permission from their governments to take part.

The tournament will have a group stage and then Super Fours. The Asia Cup and ICC events are the only times India and Pakistan play each other in cricket. Earlier reports suggested the Asia Cup might start on September 10 with an India vs Pakistan match on September 12.

🚨 INDIA vs PAKISTAN ON SEPTEMBER 7 IN DUBAI 🚨

- Asia Cup 2025 is likely to start on September 4 or 5, final on September 21. [Sports Tak] pic.twitter.com/WbtV5hvV3N

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 2, 2025

BCCI Waiting for Green Light

India’s participation is still waiting for government approval because of tensions with Pakistan. Last month, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said there were no plans for India to pull out. He explained that the board is waiting to hear from the Indian government about playing in the Asia Cup 2025.

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“There is no talk about boycotting matches. We play Pakistan in ICC events unless our government says otherwise. We will know about the Asia Cup soon,” a BCCI official said.

According to early reports, the highly anticipated India vs. Pakistan match is set for September 7, and the Asia Cup 2025 is anticipated to begin on September 5. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host the competition, and September 21 is most likely when the final takes place. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has nearly finalised a 17-day tournament window, and all six participating countries, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates, are getting ready to send their teams.

Despite earlier doubts due to political tensions between India and Pakistan following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the tournament is set to go ahead. Government clearances from all involved countries are reportedly in the final stages. Hosting rights remain with India, but the tournament will be played in the UAE due to neutral venue considerations.

Asia Cup 2025 to Begin in UAE, India vs Pakistan on September 7

The Asia Cup 2025 will follow the T20I format, keeping in line with the calendar ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The tournament will follow a group stage and Super Fours format, guaranteeing at least one India vs Pakistan clash and potentially another if both qualify for the Super Four round. The second meeting could happen on September 14.

THE LIKELY SCHEDULE OF ASIA CUP 2025: 📢 (Sports Tak).

Starts - 4 or 5th September.
Final - 21st September.
Venue - In UAE.
India Vs Pakistan - 7th September. pic.twitter.com/t2chgzF63n

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) July 2, 2025

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In recent days, promotional campaigns have begun, with official broadcaster Sony Sports Network releasing the first teaser posters. A late-night selection meeting involving Shubman Gill, Ajit Agarkar, and Gautam Gambhir was also spotted at the ground, possibly finalising early plans for the Indian squad.

This edition of the Asia Cup is critical not just for cricketing reasons but also for the reassurance it provides stakeholders after months of uncertainty. With major events like the Women’s ODI World Cup also scheduled for later this year, the Asia Cup will set the tone for a busy international calendar.

For cricket fans, especially in India and Pakistan, the resumption of this iconic rivalry on September 7 promises to be one of the year’s biggest sporting spectacles.

England is all set to host the biggest ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026, with 12 teams playing across seven cities from June 12 to July 5. The tournament will begin with England taking on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston and end with the final at Lord’s. A total of 33 matches will be played at famous grounds like The Oval, Old Trafford, Headingley, Hampshire Bowl, and Bristol.

India has been placed in Group 1 along with Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, and two qualifying teams. Group 2 includes England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and two more qualifiers. The semi-finals will be played at The Oval on June 30 and July 2, and the final will take place at Lord’s on July 5.

"But India being in the same group as Pakistan has once again started debate. Before the groups were announced, there were reports that India didn’t want to be clubbed with Pakistan. The reason was clear India didn’t want to give any kind of benefit to a country linked to terrorism".

India has taken a strong stand by cutting off cricketing ties with Pakistan in recent years. So now, being placed in the same group raises questions. Many feel this move goes against India’s clear stand on not supporting Pakistan in any form on or off the field.

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2026 Women's T20 World Cup- Groups

Group 1: Australia, South Africa, India, Pakistan, two teams from Global Qualifier

Group 2: England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies, two teams from Global Qualifier

2026 Women’s T20 World Cup- Fixtures

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi is reportedly working on a plan to shift the upcoming Asia Cup matches from India to the UAE in a bid to avoid cancellation amid the India-Pakistan stand-off. Ever since the recent military escalation, which started in early May, tensions between the two neighbours have been at their peak. India will be the official host of this tournament, but given the grim political climate, a cloud of uncertainty looms over the future of the tournament. 

To ensure the tournament proceeds as planned, the ACC President is exploring alternatives for a neutral venue where both India and Pakistan can face off. For the moment, the UAE appears to be a viable option and is in contention to host the upcoming Asia Cup tournament. Should the need arise, Sri Lanka is also being considered as a backup venue.

See also: Pakistan cricket at risk of ₹220 crore loss over India’s Asia Cup exit: Reports

ACC officials hopeful that the tournament will go as planned 

As per the latest reports from Forbes, a final decision on the venue change will be made at the ICC’s Annual General Meeting in Singapore next month. India's participation in the Asia Cup has been open to debate following the Pahalgam terror attacks that claimed the lives of 26 civilians. India accused Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism and launched a counter-offensive dubbed "Operation Sindoor" to avenge the loss of innocent civilians.  

Since then, the diplomatic relationship between the two countries has hit rock bottom, thus fueling the possibility of India withdrawing from the tournament. But fortunately, such notions have been put to rest by the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. In his recent interaction with Sportstar, Saikia denied claims of India opting out of the tournament and insisted that a call has not been taken on this matter so far.

“Such news is devoid of any truth as till now, BCCI has not even discussed or taken any such steps regarding the ensuing ACC events, let alone writing anything to the ACC (Asian Cricket Council). At this stage, our prime focus is on the ongoing IPL and subsequent England series, both men and women." 

The UAE has previously played host to earlier editions of the Asia Cup. Back in 2022, the tournament was staged in a T20 format in which both India and Pakistan clashed twice. It is certainly plausible that the vibe of the 2022 Asia Cup edition could repeat itself. Moreover, the ICC has also approached the UAE to stage a number of ICC events before on an emergency basis, the most recent of which was the Women's T20I World Cup last year. 

The upcoming edition of the ICC ODI Women's World Cup is set to be held from September 30. India, one of the favorites to win the prestigious title and the host of the tournament, will face their archrivals, Pakistan.

The date for the India vs. Pakistan women's team has been released by the International Cricket Council (ICC). As per the latest report published by ESPNcricinfo, India's fixture for the Pakistan game will be arranged at the neutral venue of R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, and the match will be on the 5th. Due to the conflict between the two countries, Pakistan will play their World matches in a neutral venue.

The tournament will kick off with the match between the host, India, and Sri Lanka on September 30 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. After the games with Sri Lanka and Pakistan, respectively, India will face Bangladesh on October 26 in Bengaluru.

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On the other side, the defending champion, Australia, will start their campaign on October 1 at Indore's Holkar Stadium against New Zealand. India is hosting the women's ODI World Cup for the first time since 2013. There will be a total of 28 matches in the league phase, followed by three knockouts. Matches are set to be played at multiple venues across India, including Bengaluru, Indore, Guwahati, and Visakhapatnam, and Colombo as the neutral venue. 

India will take on Sri Lanka in the opener in Bengaluru; all of Pakistan's games, including the semi-final and final (if they get there), will be played at neutral Colombo

Read more: https://t.co/ack715tByK pic.twitter.com/TIFrEsKuXw

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 16, 2025

Opening fixtures and knockouts:

Sept 30, Opening match—Ind vs. SL, Bengaluru

Oct 29 - 1st semi-final, Guwahati/Colombo

Oct 30 - 2nd semi-final, Bengaluru

Nov 2 - Final, Bengaluru/Colombo

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has shared his feelings for the first time about the future of India vs Pakistan international cricket matches after the Pahalgam Attack.

For a long time, former Indian cricketer and present Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has strongly opposed Indian international cricket meetings against Pakistan. Recently, the Pahalgam terror attack took away 26 tourists' lives and also injured 20 tourists. Since then, the Indian government has taken many strict actions against Pakistan, including restricting many business ties. 

There are also rumours that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will appeal to the International Cricket Council (ICC) not to put India and Pakistan in the same group for any future international cricket tournaments. While there has been no international bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan since the 2012-13 season, they only face each other in international tournaments like the ICC and ACC tournaments. While they haven't met in the Final of the ICC World Test Championship, they haven't faced each other in this Test competition yet. 

Gautam Gambhir about India-Pakistan cricket match: Absolutely no

During the ABP India At 2047 Summit, when the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir was asked about India-Pakistan cricket relations after the Pahalgam Attack, Gambhir had the straight answer, "Absolutely no." 

The Indian head coach strongly opposed any India-Pakistan cricket matches, even in tournaments like the ICC or ACC. However, Gambhir has pointed out that it is ultimately the government's decision. 

Gambhir claimed, "Ultimately this is government's call whether we play them or not. I have said this before also, no cricket match or Bollywood or any other interaction is more important than the life of Indian soldiers and Indian citizens."

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Will Gautam Gambhir talk about it with the BCCI?

The Indian head coach was also asked if he would talk about this matter to the BCCI soon. Gambhir claimed that this wasn't under his jurisdiction, and he would support any decision from the government.

Gambhir added, "This is not up to me, this is for BCCI and more importantly the government to decide whether we should play them or not. Whatever decision they make, we should be absolutely fine with it and not politicise it." 

❗Gautam Gambhir: "India shouldn't PLAY against Pakistan, even in ICC events, until terrorism ends."

— Do you AGREE with him...? pic.twitter.com/AuzvLCrzjz

— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) May 6, 2025

The history of cricket between India and Pakistan is one of intense emotions and competition, a level of drama that often transcends sport. The match-ups between the two teams are not only highly technical events of expertise that have happened on the pitch, but they create multiple moments, in the case of cricket, that will be revered for generations. Below are the top five moments from these competitions.

1. Virat Kohli's Melbourne Miracle, T20 World Cup 2022

The T20 World Cup (group stage) match between India and Pakistan at Melbourne in 2022 was riveting, though surely not the best for the Indian fans up to the final ball of the match. After Pakistan put up a score of 159/8, India found themselves at 31/4. However, Virat Kohli stepped onto the field, and on the back of his 82 off 53 deliveries, India came through with a victory. The moment that sealed the estranged victory was when Kohli hit two sixes off Haris Rauf, whose second six was what some are calling a "genius" lofted cover drive. After hitting six runs to win the match off the last ball, Kohli's dramatic finishing and the battle that preceded it became one of the best-remembered moments of his illustrious career.

2. Misbah's Scoop, Sreesanth's Catch, T20 World Cup Final 2007

The T20 World Cup Final in Johannesburg against Pakistan for India was tense for all cricket fans, with the climax being off the last ball of the match. After taking itself to 157, Pakistan was required to chase down 13 runs off the final over, with MS Dhoni making a gamble to give the over to Joginder Sharma. Amidst the drama of Misbah-ul-Haq pulling off a scoop shot of a full toss to lone fielder Sreesanth, India, by five runs, defended their score to claim the finals victory and the title of T20 ICC World Champions in history's first T20 World Championship.

See Also: 5 Times MS Dhoni Lost His Cool on the Cricket Field

3. Miandad's Last-Ball Six, Austral-Asia Cup 1986

During the 1986 Sharjah final, Pakistan had to withstand an unlikely chase of India's 245. With four required off the final ball, Javed Miandad hammered a full toss by Chetan Sharma over the field for a six, giving his team a remarkable win. Miandad's smile and Pakistan's celebration shattered Indian hearts, making this one of the all-time greatest moments of clutch heroism.

4. Prasad's Retort to Sohail, World Cup 1996

In the 1996 World Cup quarterfinal match in Bengaluru, Aamer Sohail's passionate boundary and insult to Venkatesh Prasad ignited drama. Prasad's subsequent ball knocked out Sohail's off-stump, and celebrations erupted. The victory of India by 39 runs was driven by this passionate exchange, an indicator of the rivalry's raw passion.

5. Tendulkar's Uppercut, World Cup 2003

Pursuing 273 in Centurion, Sachin Tendulkar's 98 off 75 deliveries and a stunning uppercut six off Shoaib Akhtar tore apart Pakistan's pace attack. India's six-wicket victory revealed Tendulkar's brilliance, inspiring a generation.

These moments define the India-Pakistan rivalry—where talent, guts, and drama meet, creating an eternal legacy.

The recent terror attack in Pahalgam has left the entire nation in grief, deeply affecting every Indian. Citizens across the country have been expressing their outrage and sorrow over the tragic loss of lives. Among them, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has also paid tribute to the victims. He extended his condolences and expressed solidarity with the affected families, echoing the collective pain and anger felt throughout the country in the wake of such a horrifying act of terrorism.

In addition to expressing his grief, Sourav Ganguly strongly voiced his opinion on India’s diplomatic stance with Pakistan. He advocated for a complete severing of ties with the neighboring country, stressing that acts of terror cannot be taken lightly or normalized as yearly occurrences. Ganguly’s remarks reflect a growing sentiment among many Indians who believe stronger actions should be taken to ensure national security and send a clear message against terrorism. Citing this, the former India skipper told ANI that he fully supported breaking ties with Pakistan, stating that strict action was necessary. He emphasized that it was no joke for such incidents to occur every year and added that terrorism could not be tolerated.

"100 per cent, this (breaking ties with Pakistan) should be done. Strict action is necessary. It is no joke that such things happen every year. Terrorism cannot be tolerated,” Ganguly told ANI.

Watch the video;

#PahalgamTerroristAttack | Kolkata, West Bengal: Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly says, "100 per cent, this (breaking ties with Pakistan) should be done. Strict action is necessary. It is no joke that such things happen every year. Terrorism cannot be tolerated." pic.twitter.com/J4v4HX3TZJ

— ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2025

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India and Pakistan have not played each other since 2013

It has been nearly a decade since India last played a bilateral series with Pakistan in 2013, and since then, the two cricketing arch-rivals have only played each other at ICC events. Political ramifications and security threats have halted any bilateral commitments, and earlier this year, during the Champions Trophy, India decided not to berth in Pakistan, and all scheduled matches were played in Dubai via a neutral venue. 

India and Pakistan participated and played against each other once during the Champions Trophy, with India winning that match. Global interest began and peaked in the good old days when India and Pakistan used to play against each other. India and Pakistan met once during the Champions Trophy, however, they were able to demonstrate the action and intensity of their rivalry happy which became a normal ICC event match, without a bilateral series. And cricket fans across the world all continue to share an imagination on whether the bilateral series will resume forever.

The gruesome terrorist attack in Pahalgam has shocked everyone in the country. Rajeev Shukla, the vice president the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already stated that Team India will not entertain any bilateral series with Pakistan. Further media reports have suggested that the Board can take further steps to avoid any match against Pakistan.

According to a media report, BCCI wrote the International Cricket Council (ICC) not to put the Indian cricket team in the same group as Pakistan in their future events. The update came as a media report, yet to be announced by the board or by the Council officially. 

The 2008 Mumbai terror attack was considered to be a major setback for relations between the two countries, India and Pakistan. After the incident, Team India never traveled to Pakistan. Even in ICC events, both teams faced each other in neutral venues.

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Both sides played the series way back in 2012-2013 when Pakistan toured India to play a limited-overs cricket series. India last played against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, where Sri Lanka won the trophy by defeating India. 

Know what BCCI vice president has said

BCCI even refused to send team India to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, as the Pakistan Cricket Board was the host nation of the team. Later, ICC converted the multiple-nation tournament into a hybrid model. Instead of playing on Pakistani soil, Team India played their matches in Dubai. 

BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla said in a statement, "We are with the victims, and we condemn it. Whatever our government says, we will do. We don’t play with Pakistan in a bilateral series because of the government’s stance. And we will not play with Pakistan bilaterally going forward. But when it comes to the ICC event, we play due to ICC engagement. ICC is also aware of what is happening; they will do it."