India and Pakistan renew their high-profile but one-sided cricket rivalry on Sunday in a T20 World Cup blockbuster in Dubai that will be watched by hundreds of millions of fans across the globe.
Virat Kohli's India have beaten Pakistan in all of their 12 matches at the T20 and 50-over World Cups.
Pakistan, however, go into the contest with 10 wins in a row in the UAE, their home from home for most of the last decade.
It will be the first time the two nations have clashed since the 50-over World Cup in 2019.
Of the 12 World Cup losses for Pakistan, five have been at the T20 tournament.
India and 2009 champions Pakistan are placed in Group 2 of the Super 12 stage of the tournament along with New Zealand, Afghanistan, Scotland and Namibia.
The top two in each of the two pools progress to the semi-finals.
What time is the India v Pakistan match?
Sunday's Super 12 match kicks off at 6pm at Dubai International Stadium.
How can I watch on TV in UAE?
The match will be broadcast live on CricLife Max channel on Etisalat’s eLife TV, Switch TV, and STARZPLAY app.
Can I get tickets for the match?
No. The tickets for the match in Dubai were sold out within hours of going on sale after the UAE government allowed a 70 per cent crowd for T20 World Cup matches in a relaxation of the Covid-19 restrictions.
Just how popular will this match be?
Whenever the South Asian heavyweights face off, it attracts a staggering number of eyeballs. The 2019 World Cup match in England - won by India by 89 runs via the DLS method - was the most watched ICC event ever with 273 million viewers watching on TV and another 50 million digital-only viewers. Today's match is expected to break those records.
India v Pakistan stats
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INDIA-PAKISTAN T20 STATS: 1 – Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam has played 61 T20Is, but this match will be his first in the format against India. AP -
2 – Babar Azam is the second highest ranked T20I batsman in the world, as per the ICC ratings, behind England’s Dawid Malan. Virat Kohli, India’s highest-ranked player, is fourth. AFP -
3 – Three players who featured in the 2007 World T20 final could play in the game at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday: Rohit Sharma for India, and Mohammed Hafeez and Shoaib Malik for Pakistan. AP -
6.40 – Imad Wasim’s economy rate is the 10th thriftiest in T20I history, and third best of players involved in the World Cup. Only Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan (6.21) and Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga (6.29) are more miserly. Getty -
8 – The two sides have met eight times in T20Is. India have won six, Pakistan one, while the one that was tied - at the first T20 World Cup in 2007 - was won by India after a bowl out. Getty -
11 – No bowler from either side is in the top 10 of the T20 rankings. India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is highest rated, at No 11, while Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi is next at No 23. AFP -
11 – Babar Azam has played in 11 T20Is in the UAE – and Pakistan have won all 11. He averages 49 with the bat in those games, which is a shade higher than his career average of 46.89. AFP -
28 – The countries have never faced each other in a T20I in the UAE, but they are no strangers to each other in limited-overs cricket on these shores. Pakistan have won 19 of their 28 meetings in one-day internationals. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
48.40 – Mohammed Rizwan’s career batting average in T20Is is the second highest ever in the format, behind only Virat Kohli (52.65). Babar Azam is third on that list, with 46.89. Getty -
53 – Shoaib Malik has played 53 times in all cricket against India. He has been on the winning side 21 times, with India winning 29 of them. Reuters -
71 – Rahul Chahar, the 22-year-old leg-spinner for India, was born just 71 days before Shoaib Malik played his first international match in UAE, against West Indies in Sharjah in 1999. AP -
84.66 – Virat Kohli has been on the winning side in five of his six T20Is against Pakistan. His average of 84.66 in matches against the old rivals points to the fact he was not out at the wicket when the winning runs were scored in three of those games. Reuters -
106 – Pakistan are the only side to have won more than 100 games in T20I cricket. They have won 106 of their 177 matches. Reuters -
2000 – Shoaib Malik first played against India in 2000, the same year in which Tiger Woods became the youngest player to win a major in golf. Ryan Carter / The National -
3,159 – Virat Kohli has scored more runs than anyone else in T20I history. New Zealand’s Martin Guptill is next on the list, with 2,939 runs. AFP
