Due to political hostility, India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since 2013. Although Pakistan has shown interest, Indian cricketers have been unwilling, citing government restrictions as the reason for not playing the series.
At one time, India and Pakistan were archrivals in Asian cricket. The excitement of their encounters wasn’t limited to the field—it extended to conversations at tea tables. Their matches were filled with thrill, and tension could be felt in every phase of the game.
Apart from tournaments organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), India and Pakistan no longer face each other on the cricket field.
Now, the kind of excitement once associated with India–Pakistan matches can be seen in India–Bangladesh games. Every meeting between these two teams is charged with tension, starting well before the first ball is bowled and lingering both on and off the field.
This rivalry became especially noticeable after the debut of pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman for Bangladesh in June 2015. That year, India toured Dhaka for a three-match ODI series, but struggled against Mustafizur’s cutters and lost the series. Since then, India–Bangladesh matches have been synonymous with high drama and intense competition.
The impact of this rivalry has also been felt at the age-group level. In the 2020 Under-19 World Cup held in South Africa, Bangladesh defeated the tournament’s strong favorites India to become champions for the first time. Since then, the intensity of the rivalry has only grown. In the 2023 Emerging Asia Cup, the India–Bangladesh match was again filled with tension. During that game, Bangladesh cricketer Soumya Sarkar got into a heated exchange with Indian player Harshit Rana.
Following the incident, Harshit Rana was heard saying on a podcast channel: “There’s always a battle in India–Bangladesh matches.”
