Ranking India's 5 most dominant wins over Pakistan in World Cups ft. 2023
India delivered an outstanding performance in Ahmedabad on Saturday, October 14, to defeat Pakistan in a highly anticipated showdown. This victory not only extended India's impressive winning streak against their arch-rivals in ODI World Cup matches but also propelled them to the top of the table of the 2023 edition.
The host's dominant display began by dismissing Pakistan for a mere 191 runs. Then, led by their captain, Rohit Sharma, who scored 86 runs off just 63 balls, they chased down the target with a remarkable 117 balls to spare.
Here we rank India's 5 most dominant wins over Pakistan in World Cups:
#5 2012: Won by 8 wickets in Colombo
In a key match to keep their T20I World Cup title defense hopes alive, India took on Pakistan. The bowlers led the charge as they limited Pakistan to a mere 128 runs, with Lakshmipathy Balaji leading the way with figures of 3/22.
There was an early scare as Gautam Gambhir was dismissed for a duck. This was when Virat Kohli walked out at number three. He went on to score an unbeaten 78 runs and guided his side to a comfortable victory with three overs to spare.
#4 Won by 89 runs (DLS method) in Manchester
India and Pakistan faced off in Manchester back in the 2019 World Cup. Rohit Sharma captured the spotlight, recording his second of five centuries in that tournament. He was given great support by Virat Kohli as the side powered on to reach 336/5.
Due to rain, the match was reduced to 40 overs, and Pakistan had to chase 300 for victory. Their chase never got going as Vijay Shankar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Hardik Pandya each claimed two wickets.
Fakhar Zaman was the only batter to put up a fight as he scored a half-century. Pakistan could only muster a total of 212/6.
#3 2015: Won by 76 runs in Adelaide
India started their World Cup campaign against Pakistan in the 2015 edition at Adelaide. Batting first, Virat Kohli creamed his second World Cup century and got good support from Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina as the side posted 300 runs.
The chase for Pakistan never got going as Mohammed Shami's four wickets derailed their pursuit. Apart from a fifty by Misbah ul Haq, no other batsman could make a significant contribution, with two even registering ducks in the middle order.
#2 2016: Won by 6 wickets in Kolkata
This was another key contest for India as they faced a must-win situation in the tournament when they took on Pakistan in a rain-affected contest at the Eden Gardens. The bowlers led the charge as they restricted Pakistan to a mere 118/5 within their reduced 18-over quota.
However, openers Rohit Sharma (10) and Shikhar Dhawan (6) faltered. Once more, it was the composed Virat Kohli who steered the chase as he notched up 55 from 37 balls. He stabilized the innings and then motored along and won the match with 13 balls to spare.
#1 2023: Won by 7 wickets in Ahmedabad
In a highly anticipated clash, the Indian bowlers were on song as they worked around a promising partnership between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to trigger an astonishing Pakistan collapse.
Once Mohammed Siraj dismissed Babar Azam, it set in motion a collapse, with Pakistan plummeting from 155/2 to 191 all out. Jasprit Bumrah's deliveries that removed Rizwan and Shadab Khan changed the course of the match and will be remembered for a very long time.
Chasing this target, captain Rohit Sharma showed his class and smashed a brilliant 86. The hosts clinched victory in the 31st over, making it a smooth and breezy win, as they continued their winning streak against Pakistan.