India vs Pakistan World Cup History: Complete Head to Head

India vs Pakistan is one of the most intense rivalries in international cricket, and their ODI World Cup meetings carry a level of attention that goes far beyond a normal group-stage match. Every encounter brings enormous pressure, huge global television audiences and memories that often remain part of cricket discussion for years.

In bilateral ODI cricket, Pakistan have historically held the stronger overall head-to-head record. The World Cup story, however, has been completely different. India have won all eight men’s ODI World Cup meetings between the two teams through the 2023 tournament. The sequence began in Sydney in 1992 and continued through Bengaluru, Manchester, Centurion, Mohali, Adelaide and Ahmedabad.

Those eight matches include Sachin Tendulkar’s famous 98 in 2003, the 2011 semi-final in Mohali, Virat Kohli’s century in 2015, Rohit Sharma’s 140 in 2019 and India’s seven-wicket win in Ahmedabad in 2023.

India vs Pakistan ODI World Cup Head-to-Head Record

India’s World Cup record against Pakistan therefore stands at 8 wins from 8 matches. Before the 2023 encounter, the ICC confirmed that India had won all seven previous meetings, dating back to 1992. India then extended that sequence with another victory in Ahmedabad.

Top Five India vs Pakistan World Cup Encounters

1. India vs Pakistan, 2003 – Centurion

The 2003 meeting remains one of the most celebrated matches in the rivalry.

Pakistan batted first at SuperSport Park and reached 273/7. Saeed Anwar produced a superb century and held the innings together against an Indian attack featuring Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath and Ashish Nehra.

A target of 274 was challenging, particularly because Pakistan had Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar in their attack.

Sachin Tendulkar changed the mood almost immediately.

He attacked Pakistan’s fast bowlers during the opening overs, producing several memorable shots. The upper-cut for six off Shoaib Akhtar became one of the most replayed strokes in World Cup history.

Tendulkar scored 98 before Shoaib eventually dismissed him.

India still had work to do.

Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh then controlled the final phase of the chase, guiding India to victory by six wickets.

The ICC later included the match among its greatest World Cup contests, highlighting Anwar’s century and Tendulkar’s decisive 98.

The result helped India continue toward the 2003 final and strengthened Tendulkar’s reputation as one of the greatest World Cup batters.

2. India vs Pakistan, 2011 Semi-Final – Mohali

The 2011 World Cup semi-final carried even greater pressure.

This was not simply another group-stage meeting. The winner would reach the World Cup final.

India batted first in Mohali.

Tendulkar again became the central figure, scoring 85 in an innings that included several chances. Pakistan’s bowlers created opportunities but could not remove him early enough.

India eventually made 260/9.

Pakistan’s chase never fully settled.

Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal started positively, but regular wickets prevented Pakistan from building a decisive partnership.

Misbah-ul-Haq stayed until late and scored 56, but the required rate continued to rise.

Pakistan were bowled out for 231, giving India a 29-run victory.

The win took India into the final against Sri Lanka, where MS Dhoni’s team completed the tournament by winning the World Cup in Mumbai.

The 2011 semi-final remains the only India-Pakistan meeting in an ODI World Cup knockout match. India’s victory therefore carries a special place in the rivalry.

3. India vs Pakistan, 1996 Quarter-Final – Bengaluru

The 1996 quarter-final was another huge-pressure game.

India batted first at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and scored 287/8.

Navjot Singh Sidhu made 93, but the innings is also remembered for Ajay Jadeja’s late assault. Jadeja attacked Waqar Younis and pushed India’s total well beyond what had seemed likely during the middle overs.

Pakistan began strongly.

Aamer Sohail and Saeed Anwar attacked India’s fast bowlers and gave Pakistan an excellent platform.

Then came one of the most famous exchanges in World Cup history.

After striking Venkatesh Prasad for a boundary, Sohail gestured toward the area where he had hit the ball.

Prasad responded by bowling him with the next delivery.

The wicket changed the momentum.

Pakistan lost wickets regularly afterward and finished on 248/9.

India won by 39 runs and advanced to the semi-final.

The game became famous not only because of the result but because of the intensity, crowd atmosphere and individual moments inside the contest.

4. India vs Pakistan, 2019 – Manchester

The 2019 meeting at Old Trafford produced one of India’s most dominant batting performances in the rivalry.

Pakistan chose to bowl first.

Rohit Sharma responded with a brilliant 140 from 113 balls. KL Rahul made 57, while Virat Kohli added 77 as India built a huge total of 336/5.

Pakistan needed an outstanding chase.

Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam added a useful partnership, but Kuldeep Yadav changed the match.

Kuldeep bowled Babar with a beautiful delivery before dismissing Fakhar.

Rain later interrupted the match, and Pakistan’s revised target under the DLS method became extremely difficult.

India eventually won by 89 runs.

The result extended India’s World Cup winning streak against Pakistan to seven matches. The ICC had highlighted the historical pattern before the game, noting that Pakistan had never beaten India in the ODI World Cup.

Rohit’s 140 remains one of the highest individual scores in India-Pakistan World Cup history.

5. India vs Pakistan, 2023 – Ahmedabad

The 2023 clash was played in front of a huge crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Pakistan started reasonably well after being asked to bat.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan built the innings and took the score to 155/2.

Then the match changed dramatically.

Pakistan lost eight wickets for only 36 runs and were bowled out for 191.

Jasprit Bumrah was outstanding, taking 2/19, while Kuldeep Yadav also played a major role in the collapse.

Five Indian bowlers took two wickets each.

India then made the chase look straightforward.

Rohit Sharma attacked from the start and scored 86, while Shreyas Iyer finished unbeaten with a half-century.

India reached the target for the loss of only three wickets and won by seven wickets with 19.3 overs remaining.

The victory extended India’s ODI World Cup record against Pakistan to 8-0.

Famous India vs Pakistan World Cup Matches

Every World Cup meeting between India and Pakistan has produced a different story.

The first came in Sydney in 1992.

India scored 216/7 and then bowled Pakistan out for 173 to win by 43 runs. It was the beginning of a streak that has continued for more than three decades.

The 1999 match at Old Trafford came during the Super Six stage.

India scored 227/6, with Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Azharuddin making important contributions.

Venkatesh Prasad then destroyed Pakistan’s chase with 5/27.

Pakistan were dismissed for 180, giving India a 47-run victory.

The 2015 game at Adelaide also became memorable because of Virat Kohli.

Kohli scored 107 as India reached 300/7.

Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina also made major contributions.

Pakistan were then bowled out for 224, with Mohammed Shami taking 4/35.

India won by 76 runs.

The pattern across these matches is clear: India’s star batters have repeatedly produced their best cricket under the rivalry’s pressure.

The 2003 India vs Pakistan World Cup Clash

The 2003 encounter deserves its own place in World Cup history because of the quality of both attacks and the importance of the chase.

Pakistan’s 273/7 looked competitive.

Saeed Anwar’s century gave the innings structure, while India knew they would have to face three elite fast bowlers.

Tendulkar refused to let Pakistan control the start.

He attacked Akram, Waqar and Shoaib, reducing the pressure before it could build.

His 98 included 12 fours and one six.

The famous upper-cut over third man off Shoaib became the defining image of the match.

Tendulkar was eventually dismissed before completing a century, but India were already in a strong position.

Dravid and Yuvraj finished the chase.

India’s six-wicket victory remains one of the most famous successful chases in World Cup history, and the ICC has repeatedly highlighted it as one of the rivalry’s classic encounters.

The 2023 India vs Pakistan World Cup Clash

The 2023 match offered a completely different type of contest.

Pakistan did not collapse early.

Babar and Rizwan had taken the total to 155/2 and appeared to be building toward 270 or more.

Bumrah and Kuldeep changed the innings.

Bumrah’s slower delivery removed Mohammad Rizwan, while Kuldeep struck twice during a crucial middle-over spell.

Pakistan’s lower order could not recover.

From 155/2, they fell to 191 all out.

India then attacked the target instead of allowing Pakistan’s bowlers to create pressure.

Rohit’s 86 came from just 63 balls.

His aggressive approach meant the required rate was never a problem.

Shreyas Iyer completed the job with an unbeaten 53 as India won comfortably.

The result was one of the most one-sided matches in the World Cup rivalry.

Why India Have Dominated Pakistan in ODI World Cups

The 8-0 record is unusual because Pakistan have historically performed strongly against India in ODI cricket overall.

World Cup meetings, however, have repeatedly gone India’s way.

One major factor has been India’s batting under pressure.

Tendulkar produced crucial innings in 1996, 2003 and 2011.

Kohli scored a century in 2015.

Rohit dominated in 2019 and again played the decisive innings in 2023.

India have also consistently taken wickets at critical stages.

Prasad’s spell in 1999, India’s collective bowling in 2011, Shami’s four wickets in 2015, Kuldeep’s breakthroughs in 2019 and Bumrah’s 2023 spell all came when Pakistan were trying to build momentum.

Pakistan have had strong individual performances, but they have rarely managed to combine batting and bowling success in the same World Cup match against India.

India vs Pakistan World Cup Records and Trends

India’s eight victories include five wins batting first and three successful chases.

The closest margin by runs came in 2011, when India won by 29.

The biggest margin by runs came in 2019, when India won by 89 runs under the DLS method.

India’s largest wicket-margin victory came in 2023 by seven wickets.

The 2003 match remains the rivalry’s most famous chase.

The 2011 semi-final remains the biggest knockout meeting.

The 2023 clash remains the most recent ODI World Cup encounter.

Pakistan still lead India historically in overall men’s ODI victories, but the World Cup record remains entirely in India’s favour.

FAQs

What is the India vs Pakistan ODI World Cup head-to-head record?

India lead Pakistan 8-0 in men’s ODI World Cup matches through the 2023 tournament.

How many times have India and Pakistan played in ODI World Cups?

India and Pakistan have met eight times in men’s ODI World Cup history, starting in 1992.

Has Pakistan ever beaten India in an ODI World Cup?

No. Pakistan have not beaten India in a men’s ODI World Cup through the 2023 edition.

Who won the India vs Pakistan 2003 World Cup match?

India won by six wickets at Centurion after Sachin Tendulkar scored 98 while chasing 274.

Who won the India vs Pakistan 2023 World Cup match?

India won by seven wickets in Ahmedabad after bowling Pakistan out for 191 and chasing the target in 30.3 overs.

What was the biggest India vs Pakistan World Cup knockout match?

The 2011 semi-final in Mohali was the biggest knockout meeting. India won by 29 runs and later lifted the World Cup.