The first clash in the group stage did not produce a result due to rain. This match now has been given a reserve day, with rain expected in Colombo again on Sunday.
As we count down to the highly anticipated clash, the result of which could potentially indicate which team is the big favourite for the title this time, the TOI Sports desk here takes a look at some of the most interesting statistics in India vs Pakistan ODI rivalry in the Asia Cup:
07:25
Asia Cup: India open their ‘Super 4’ campaign vs Pakistan
# The no-result game, contested at Pallekele on September 2, 2023 was the second Asia Cup match, failing to produce a result involving the two countries – the first being at Colombo (SSC) on July 20, 1997.Apart from these two grounds, three other ODI games between India and Pakistan – one each held at Sialkot (1984), Karachi (1989)
& Toronto (1997) could not produce results.
# India and Pakistan have contested fourteen matches in the Asia Cup. India have won seven and lost five (NR 2).
# Of the seven Asia Cup wins for India against Pakistan, six occurred while chasing between October 31, 1988 and September 23, 2018.
# India recorded two winning totals of 300-plus against Pakistan in the Asia Cup – both times while chasing – 330 for four (thanks mainly to Sachin Tendulkar 52, Virat Kohli 183 & Rohit Sharma 68) at Mirpur on March 18, 2012 and 301 for four at Karachi on June 26, 2008 (thanks to Virender Sehwag 119, Suresh Raina 84 & Yuvraj Singh 48).
# Kohli’s career-best innings of 183 off 148 balls remains the highest by any batsman in the Asia Cup/One Day Internationals. The next highest against Pakistan in ODIs remains David Warner’s 179 at Adelaide on January 26, 2017.
(PTI Photo)
# The only time a 300-plus total by India resulted in a loss occurred while batting first in the Asia Cup – 308 for seven at Karachi on July 2, 2008. Younis Khan had played an unbeaten match-winning knock – 123 off 117 balls.
# The top three Indian pacers were mainly responsible for India’s defeat by 8 wickets – Praveen Kumar 8.3-1-61-0, Irfan Pathan 10-0-68-0 & Ishant Sharma (10-1-63-0). Two other bowlers remained wicketless – Yousuf Pathan 4-0-29-0 and Virender Sehwag 5-0-34-0.
# In the history of the Asia Cup (ODIs), the top three matches in terms of strike rate, excluding extras, feature India and Pakistan – 107.47 (Mirpur – March 18, 2012); 104.33 (Karachi – June 26, 2008) & 103.81 (Karachi – July 2, 2008).
# In the India vs Pakistan encounter at Pallekele on September 2, 2023, for the first time in the history of the Asia Cup, number five and six batters had recorded 75-plus in the same innings – Ishan Kishan (82) & Hardik Pandya (87).
# Pandya’s splendid knock of 87 off 90 balls is his third highest and his eleventh fifty in ODIs – the top two being 92 not out at Canberra on December 2, 2020 and 90 at Sydney on November 27, 2020 – both vs Australia.
# Pandya’s innings is the highest by number six or lower or India in the Asia Cup. Just three other batters have scored 50-plus – 58 by Rohit Sharma at Karachi on July 2, 2008; 52 not out by Ravindra Jadeja at Mirpur on March 2, 2014 & 50 by Sanjay Manjrekar at Sharjah on April 7, 1995 – all vs Pakistan.
# Kishan and Pandya were associated in a stand of 138 in the above match – India’s highest fifth-wicket stand in the Asia Cup, eclipsing the 133 between Yuvraj Singh & Rahul Dravid vs Sri Lanka at Dambulla on July 18, 2004. The said stand is India’s highest for this wicket-position vs Pakistan in ODIs apart from the highest fifth-wicket partnership by any pair vs Pakistan in the Asia Cup.
# Shaheen Shah Afridi (4/35) has produced his first four-wicket haul in the aforesaid Asia Cup. Afridi’s first instance of four wickets vs India is his eighth in ODIs.
# Harris Rauf, who captured three for 58 vs India at Pallekele on September 2, 2023, is the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing tournament, claiming 9 wickets in three matches at 10.33 runs apiece at a strike rate of 13.3.
# Of the last six matches between the two teams, India have won four (and lost one) – by 3 wickets at Dambulla on June 19, 2010; by six wickets at Mirpur on March 18, 2012; by 8 wickets on September 19 & by 9 wickets on September 23 – both at Dubai (DSC) in 2018. The Pallekele game played on September 2, 2023 was a rain-affected
game, failing to produce a result.
# India’s convincing triumph by 9 wickets at Dubai (DSC) on September 23, 2018 remains their biggest vs Pakistan in ODIs. India’s eight-wicket win with 126 balls to spare at Dubai (DSC) on September 19, 2018 remains their largest with so many balls to spare vs Pakistan in ODIs.
# Pakistan’s last win against India in the Asia Cup was by one wicket with two balls remaining at Mirpur on March 2, 2014. Shahid Afridi (34 not out off 18 balls) was instrumental in Pakistan’s win by hitting two sixes off the third and fourth balls of Ravichandran Ashwin’s over.
# Pakistan managed three totals of 300-plus against India in the Asia Cup – their highest being 329 for six at Mirpur on March 18, 2022. They still lost the match as India chased successfully – 330 for four.
(Shubman Gill, left, and Rohit Sharma – AP Photo)
# Mohammad Hafeez (105) and Nasir Jamshed (112) scored hundreds for Pakistan against India at Mirpur on March 18, 2012 – the only instance for Pakistan when both the openers posted centuries in the Asia Cup.
# Virat Kohli remains the only batsman to hit two hundreds in successful chases in the Asia Cup – 183 vs Pakistan at Mirpur on March 18, 2012 and 136 vs Bangladesh at Fatullah on February 26, 2014.
# Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed had managed 224 runs for the first wicket for Pakistan against India at Mirpur on March 18, 2012 – the highest stand for any wicket by any pair in the Asia Cup.
# Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma were associated in a stand of 210 at Dubai (DSC) on September 23, 2018 – India’s highest opening stand in the Asia Cup as well as the highest by any pair for any wicket against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.
# Dhawan (114) and Rohit (111 not out) provide the only instance of Indian openers scoring centuries in the same innings in the aforesaid Asia Cup fixture.
(Shaheen Shah Afridi – AFP Photo)
# Arshad Ayub’s career-best ODI figures of 5 for 21 were accomplished in the Asia Cup vs Pakistan at Dhaka on October 31, 1988. His splendid figures remain the best by an Indian bowler in the Asia Cup apart from the best by any bowler vs Pakistan.
# Apart from Ajantha Mendis’ two five-wicket hauls, Lasith Malinga remains the only bowler to produce three five-wicket hauls – all against Pakistan – one each at Dambulla (2010), Fatullah (2014) & Mirpur (2014).
# Rohit Sharma has managed 367 runs at an average of 73.40, including a hundred and four fifties, in eight innings, at a strike rate of 92.91 – the most by any batsman against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.
# Rohit Sharma remains the only batter to hit four successive fifty-plus innings against Pakistan in the Asia Cup – the sequence being 68 on March 18, 2012; 56 on March 2, 2014 (both at Mirpur); 52 on September 19 & 111 not out on September 23 (both at Dubai (DSC) in 2018).
# Aaqib Javed’s excellent figures of 5 for 19 at Sharjah on April 7, 1995 are the best by a Pakistani bowler against India in the Asia Cup. He remains the only Pakistani bowler to produce a five-wicket haul against India in the Asia Cup.
(AI image)
# One Asia Cup match involving India (143/6) and Pakistan (142) did not witness even a single six – Dhaka on October 31, 1988
# Pakistan’s biggest win in terms of runs against India in the Asia Cup is by 97 runs at Sharjah on April 7, 1995.
# Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik remains the only all-rounder to post a century and produce two wickets in the same Asia Cup match – 118 & 4 for 19 vs Hong Kong at Colombo (SSC) on July 18, 2004 and 143 & 2 for 42 vs India at Colombo (RPS) on July 25, 2004.
Stats Courtesy: Rajesh Kumar