Few cricket fixtures attract attention on the scale of india vs pakistan. What began with a Test series in 1952 has developed into one of international cricket’s most closely followed rivalries, spanning Tests, One Day Internationals, T20 Internationals, World Cups, Champions Trophy tournaments and Asia Cups.
Quick answer: India and Pakistan have played 212 men’s internationals across Tests, ODIs and T20Is through their February 2026 meeting. Pakistan holds the advantage in the overall historical win count, while India has the stronger T20I record and a particularly strong record in ICC World Cup meetings.
The numbers, however, tell only part of the story. The rivalry has changed considerably across different eras and formats, so an overall total can look very different from the record in recent tournaments.
India vs Pakistan Head-to-Head Record
Across men’s Tests, ODIs and T20Is, the teams have met 212 times through February 2026. The historical record shows Pakistan ahead in Tests and ODIs, while India holds a substantial advantage in T20 internationals.
| Format | Matches | India Wins | Pakistan Wins | Draw/Tie/No Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 59 | 9 | 12 | 38 |
| ODIs | 136 | 58 | 73 | 5 |
| T20Is | 17 | 14 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 212 | 81 | 88 | 43 |
These totals highlight an important feature of the rivalry: Pakistan’s historical overall advantage and India’s recent limited-overs success can both be true at the same time. Pakistan accumulated a substantial advantage during earlier decades of ODI cricket, whereas India has controlled a much larger share of the teams’ recent T20I and ICC World Cup meetings.
Who Has Won More India vs Pakistan Matches?
Pakistan has more wins when all three international formats are combined, with 88 victories compared with India’s 81 through February 2026.
The format-by-format picture is different. Pakistan leads the historical Test and ODI records, but India leads the T20I series comfortably.
That distinction matters whenever head-to-head statistics are compared. A statement that one side “leads the rivalry” can mean something entirely different depending on whether the comparison concerns all matches, World Cups, T20Is or recent meetings.
India vs Pakistan Test Record
Test cricket is where the rivalry began.
Pakistan’s first Test tour of India took place in 1952. India won that five-match series 2–1, beginning a Test rivalry that eventually produced 59 matches.
The overall Test record is:
- Pakistan: 12 wins
- India: 9 wins
- Draws: 38
- Total: 59 Tests
The number of draws immediately stands out. Thirty-eight of the 59 Tests ended without a winner.
Another important detail is that this record has effectively been frozen for years. India and Pakistan have not played a men’s Test against each other since December 2007.
That means modern fans are much more likely to experience this rivalry through white-ball tournaments than through traditional bilateral Test series.
India vs Pakistan ODI Record
Historically, ODI cricket has been Pakistan’s strongest format in this matchup.
Through the latest available 2026 record, India and Pakistan have played 136 ODIs:
| ODI Head-to-Head | Record |
|---|---|
| Matches | 136 |
| India wins | 58 |
| Pakistan wins | 73 |
| Other results | 5 |
Pakistan therefore retains the historical ODI advantage.
But the ODI World Cup produces a dramatically different picture.
India vs Pakistan ODI World Cup Record
India and Pakistan have faced each other eight times in the men’s ODI Cricket World Cup, and India has won all eight encounters.
Their first World Cup meeting came in Sydney in 1992, where India won by 43 runs. Subsequent World Cup encounters continued the pattern, including major matches in 2003, the 2011 semi-final, 2015 and the 2023 tournament in Ahmedabad.
The 2011 semi-final was particularly significant from a cricketing perspective. India defeated Pakistan by 29 runs before going on to win the World Cup.
In 2023, the teams met at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India won by seven wickets, extending its men’s ODI World Cup record against Pakistan to 8–0.
This explains why two apparently contradictory statistics are frequently quoted: Pakistan leads the overall ODI head-to-head, while India leads 8–0 in ODI World Cup matches.
Both are correct because they measure different sets of matches.
India vs Pakistan T20 Record
The balance changes significantly in T20 internationals.
Through February 2026, the teams had played 17 men’s T20Is, with India winning 14 and Pakistan winning three.
T20 cricket has also produced several of the rivalry’s most memorable matches.
The 2007 T20 World Cup Meetings
India and Pakistan met twice during the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007.
Their group-stage match finished level before India prevailed in the bowl-out, the tie-breaking procedure used at the time. The teams then met again in the tournament final.
India won the final by five runs to become the inaugural T20 world champion.
That match remains a defining moment in the history of T20 cricket because the sport’s newest international format produced an India-Pakistan final in its first global championship.
Pakistan’s 2021 T20 World Cup Breakthrough
Pakistan achieved a landmark result at the 2021 T20 World Cup by defeating India by ten wickets.
It was Pakistan’s first victory over India in either the men’s ODI or T20 World Cup. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan completed the chase without losing a wicket.
The result ended India’s long unbeaten World Cup sequence against Pakistan, although India subsequently rebuilt a commanding T20I head-to-head advantage.
The 2026 T20 World Cup Meeting
The teams’ most recent senior men’s international listed in the available record took place in Colombo on February 15, 2026, during the T20 World Cup.
India won that match by 61 runs.
Following that result, India’s men’s T20I record against Pakistan stood at 14 wins from 17 matches.
India vs Pakistan in ICC Tournaments
ICC events provide another useful way of understanding the rivalry.
Across the ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy, the historical balance differs substantially by competition.
| Tournament | Matches | India Wins | Pakistan Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| ODI World Cup | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| T20 World Cup | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| Champions Trophy | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Total | 23 | 19 | 4 |
These tournament records show why India’s recent dominance is so prominent in public discussion despite Pakistan retaining the advantage in the all-time overall international record.
The Champions Trophy is the major exception.
India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy Record
India and Pakistan have played six Champions Trophy matches, with three victories each.
Pakistan’s most famous Champions Trophy victory came in the 2017 final at The Oval.
Pakistan won by 180 runs, with Fakhar Zaman scoring a century before Mohammad Amir played a major role with the ball. The 180-run margin remains one of the defining results in the history of this rivalry.
India responded in later ICC competition, including the 2025 Champions Trophy.
The teams met in Dubai on February 23, 2025, where India won by six wickets.
India vs Pakistan in the Asia Cup
The Asia Cup has provided many of the teams’ modern encounters because bilateral series have become rare.
The rivalry reached another milestone on September 28, 2025, when India and Pakistan played each other in an Asia Cup final for the first time.
Pakistan scored 146 after being dismissed in 19.1 overs at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India chased the target, reaching 150/5 in 19.4 overs to win by five wickets.
Tilak Varma played the decisive innings, finishing with 69, and was named Player of the Match.
The final added another high-pressure tournament match to a rivalry increasingly defined by neutral venues and multinational competitions.
Why Are India vs Pakistan Matches So Rare?
One unusual aspect of the rivalry is the gap between its enormous audience and the relatively small number of recent bilateral series.
The cricket relationship has repeatedly been interrupted by political and security tensions between the two countries. The ICC’s historical account notes long interruptions in bilateral cricket, including periods following wars and later security-related events.
As a result, modern India-Pakistan men’s matches are concentrated heavily in multinational competitions.
That makes an ICC or Asia Cup draw particularly significant. Unlike rivalries in which two national teams meet in a scheduled series every year, fans cannot assume another India-Pakistan match will immediately follow.
Most Memorable India vs Pakistan Cricket Matches
Several matches help explain how the rivalry developed across generations.
1986 Austral-Asia Cup Final
The Sharjah era produced numerous memorable India-Pakistan ODIs. One of the most famous came in the 1986 Austral-Asia Cup final, remembered for Javed Miandad’s last-ball six.
The moment became part of the folklore surrounding Pakistan’s strong ODI era.
2003 Cricket World Cup
The 2003 World Cup meeting at Centurion featured one of Sachin Tendulkar’s best-known World Cup innings.
Pakistan posted a competitive total after Saeed Anwar made a century, but Tendulkar scored 98 as India successfully chased the target and won by six wickets.
2007 T20 World Cup Final
The inaugural T20 World Cup final introduced a new generation to the rivalry.
India defeated Pakistan by five runs in Johannesburg, securing the first men’s T20 world title.
2011 World Cup Semi-Final
The teams met in Mohali with a place in the ODI World Cup final at stake.
India won by 29 runs and subsequently defeated Sri Lanka in the final.
2017 Champions Trophy Final
Pakistan reversed the result of its earlier group-stage loss to India and produced a commanding performance in the Champions Trophy final.
The 180-run victory remains one of Pakistan’s most significant tournament wins over India.
2021 T20 World Cup
Pakistan’s ten-wicket win was historically important because it ended India’s unbeaten record against Pakistan in men’s World Cup cricket.
2025 Asia Cup Final
The first India-Pakistan Asia Cup final produced another close finish.
Pakistan made 146 before India reached 150/5 with two balls remaining. Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 was central to the five-wicket victory.
Famous Players in the India vs Pakistan Rivalry
Different generations associate the fixture with different players.
Sachin Tendulkar was central to several major Indian performances, including his 98 at the 2003 World Cup. His international debut had also come during India’s 1989 tour of Pakistan. That same series featured the Test debut of Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis.
Other eras brought names such as Wasim Akram, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and Shahid Afridi.
In the modern period, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Jasprit Bumrah and other leading players have featured prominently in major tournament meetings.
The personnel change, but the pressure attached to the fixture remains unusually high.
Why Overall Head-to-Head Numbers Can Be Misleading
One of the easiest mistakes when researching india vs pakistan is to use a single head-to-head number without explaining its context.
Pakistan’s overall advantage is strongly influenced by Tests and ODIs played across earlier decades. India, meanwhile, has built a substantial advantage in T20Is and men’s ICC World Cup matches.
So the answer to “Who has the better India vs Pakistan record?” depends on the competition being measured.
For the complete historical men’s international record through February 2026, Pakistan has more wins.
For T20Is, India has the advantage.
For men’s ODI World Cups, India leads 8–0.
For men’s T20 World Cups, India leads 8–1.
For the Champions Trophy, the teams are level at three wins each.
Keeping those categories separate provides a much clearer picture than reducing more than seven decades of cricket to one statistic.
What Makes India vs Pakistan Cricket Different?
The fixture combines sporting history, limited scheduling and high tournament stakes.
The teams first played Test cricket in 1952, but their bilateral calendar has repeatedly been interrupted. That means many modern meetings take place during tournaments where one poor performance can influence qualification or eliminate a team altogether.
The format has also changed with time.
Earlier generations saw long Test series and frequent ODIs. Modern audiences are more familiar with Asia Cups, Champions Trophy matches and T20 World Cups.
This creates an unusual rivalry in which historical statistics and modern results tell noticeably different stories.
India vs Pakistan: The Record in Perspective
The india vs pakistan cricket rivalry has lasted for more than seven decades and has evolved through Test cricket, the growth of ODIs and the rise of T20 internationals.
Through February 2026, Pakistan retains the advantage in the overall men’s international win count, with 88 victories to India’s 81 across 212 matches. India, however, has a commanding T20I advantage and has won 16 of the 17 men’s ODI and T20 World Cup meetings between the sides.
Recent results have strengthened that contrast. India won the 2025 Asia Cup final against Pakistan by five wickets and then won their February 2026 T20 World Cup meeting by 61 runs.
That is why understanding India vs Pakistan requires more than checking one head-to-head total. The historical record, individual formats and major tournament results each reveal a different part of a rivalry that has developed across generations of international cricket.
