Netflix launched the documentary The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan on February 7, 2025. It explores the historic and political rivalry between India and Pakistan through the lens of cricket. Yaar, India ke naye generation ke roop mein, yeh cheez tumhe zaroor pata honi chahiye!
Let’s turn the clock back to 1947 and dive deep into what exactly the two countries have been fighting about. Is it all due to territorial disputes that led to war?
From their first cricket encounter in 1952, India vs Pakistan has been full of intense moments. Over the years, people have witnessed wars, terrorist attacks, and accusations of match-fixing. And now, we’re bringing you back to the most intense cricket battles from 1999 to 2008.
India and Pakistan: History of Wars and Conflicts
Since the end of British colonial rule in India in 1947, India and Pakistan have had many disagreements over territorial division, particularly the issue of Kashmir’s status. This led to four major wars (1947, 1965, 1971, 1999).
The main battlefields of these four wars were concentrated in the “Kashmir Disputed Area.” The total death toll in both countries sums up to between 400,000 and 3 million people, including both civilians and soldiers.
The First India-Pakistani War
Start date: October 22, 1947
End date: December 31, 1948
Cause: Disagreement over the territorial division of Kashmir. After the war, Kashmir was divided.
The Second India-Pakistani War
Start date: August 5, 1965
End date: September 23, 1965
Cause: Pakistan’s attempt to fully capture Kashmir and its subsequent attack.
The Third Indo-Pakistani War
Start date: December 3, 1971
End date: December 16, 1971
Cause: East Pakistan could no longer endure the exploitation by West Pakistan. India intervened to support East Pakistan’s independence, and ultimately, East Pakistan won and became the present-day “Bangladesh.”
The Kargil War
Start date: May 3, 1999
End date: July 26, 1999
Cause: Pakistani military and armed militants infiltrated the Kargil region of Kashmir. After India discovered this, it took back the territory.
🔥The actions that have led to war are something I can never condone. It’s hard to sympathize with those who start conflicts like that.
Netflix has adapted the documentary The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan, which primarily focuses on the 1999 series of Test matches and One Day Internationals between the Pakistan team and India. That same year, the Kargil War broke out, leading to heightened tensions between the two countries, and cricket matches were suspended once again.
It wasn’t until 2003 that the Indian team visited Pakistan after nearly 15 years.
Exchange tours resumed in 2006, but were stopped again following the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, which led to the full suspension of all exchanges.
India vs Pakistan: The Most Spectacular Cricket Encounters
As of 2025, India and Pakistan have faced each other 207 times. Pakistan has won 88 times, while India has claimed victory 75 times. There are 44 matches that are not included in the count (due to draws, cancellations, or issues like safety or political reasons)
The historical encounters include Test matches, ODIs, and T20s. However, in most major international tournaments and World Cups, India has dominated most of the major tournaments.
Held in Bangalore, India. It was the first time India and Pakistan faced off in a World Trophy match! This was also the most iconic game of all their encounters.
Held in Chennai, India. After this test match, the Kargil War broke out in May of the same year, leaving a lasting impression on both Indian and Pakistani people.
Held in Centurion, South Africa. India defeated Pakistan with an incredible batting performance by Sachin Tendulkar. In this match, India had 6 players who remained unbeaten, showcasing an outstanding performance.
Held in Lahore, Pakistan. It was also the first year of issuing cricket visas.
Held in Johannesburg, South Africa. The match was decided by a narrow margin of just 5 runs. It was also India’s first T20 World Cup title! MS Dhoni was the captain who led India to victory.
Held in Mohali, India. Both the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan attended the match in person. Sachin Tendulkar’s performance was once again the key to India’s victory. He truly is a legendary figure!
The India-Pakistan series between 1999 and 2007 was the most thrilling. In 2004, to facilitate cricket engagement between the two countries, Pakistan issued “cricket visas” to Indian fans, allowing tens of thousands to travel to Pakistan to watch the matches, and ensuring smooth competition between the players of both nations.
1999 Tour Series
In 1999, the Pakistan national team and the India national team engaged in a series of matches, with the Kolkata encounter being a historical moment that many Indians would wish it never happened.
In that match, Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar took two wickets, dismissing Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. However, in the Delhi match, Anil Kumble made a comeback, taking all 10 wickets to lead India to victory.
In the final match in Chennai, although India lost, the Chennai fans still gave Pakistan a standing ovation. This gesture helped reduce the tension between the two nations significantly.
1999 Kargil War Halts Cricket Engagement
In mid-1999, the Kargil War broke out, marking the fourth India-Pakistan conflict. The war took place in the Kashmir border region and resulted in significant casualties on both sides. As a result, relations between the two countries rapidly deteriorated, and cricket exchanges between India and Pakistan were immediately suspended.
2004-2007 Cricket Exchange Tours
In 2004, exchanges between the two countries resumed. Over the next two years, the Indian and Pakistan national teams engaged in a series of matches across both nations.
One of the most talked-about matches took place in Multan, where Virender Sehwag scored an impressive 309 runs, earning him the title of “Multan Sultan” among Indians.
Sehwag also sparked a new wave in cricket. Traditionally, the opening batsman was the team’s strongest defender, tasked with consuming balls. However, Sehwag broke this mold by aggressively attacking, putting huge pressure on the opponents from the very start.
2008 Mumbai Terrorist Attacks Halt Cricket Engagements
The friendly interaction between the two nations came to an abrupt stop in 2008, the same year the world’s biggest cricket league, the IPL, was founded. Many Pakistani players had initially joined the IPL, gaining significant exposure, market reach, and rewards.
However, in 2008, a series of horrific events known as the “Mumbai Terrorist Attacks” occurred, resulting in the deaths of 164 people. It was later confirmed that the attacks were carried out by a Pakistani terrorist group.
As a result, India stopped issuing cricket-related visas for Pakistani players, preventing them from participating in the IPL.
2025 India vs Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy Group A Match
The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy group stage begins in February, hosted by Pakistan. However, due to India’s refusal to play in Pakistan, all of India’s matches will be moved to the Dubai International Cricket Stadium after coordination between the two countries.
If you can’t make it to Dubai on February 23rd, make sure to stay in front of the TV or watch the ICC Live for Free on Vegas11.
Of course, we always support India and believe that India is one of the top teams in the world. If you want to place cricket bets, you can visit Vegas11, which offers 8 different ‘Sportbooks’, where you can find the best odds and market.
