If past trends are any indication, nearly half a billion people could tune in to watch India and Pakistan face off in a cricket match often described as “bigger than war.” The two neighbours and arch rivals face off on Sunday before a crowd of about 34,000 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on New York’s Long Island.
“There’s no bigger match than India vs Pakistan in terms of the attendance, the attendance in the stadium and the interest around the world,” former Indian cricket team player and head coach Ravi Shastri said Saturday ahead of the big match at an event in New York City. “It’s going to be a massive spectacle.”
Earlier, former Pakistan cricket team captain and tournament goodwill ambassador Shahid Afridi, in a column for the International Cricket Council, described the upcoming match as “our Super Bowl” and likened the rivalry to that between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
In an earlier interview with USA Today, ICC CEO Geoff Allardice called the India-Pakistan match “one of the great rivalries in sport”.
With India and Pakistan set to face off in the penultimate match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, here’s a look at why this match is the hottest one of the tournament so far.
Cricket: A sport lost in political history
“It’s because of our history,” former Indian cricketer and tournament goodwill ambassador Yuvraj Singh said when asked what made the match special at the opening of the ICC Fan Park at the World Trade Centre in New York on June 1.
After gaining independence from the British colonial empire on the same day in 1947, India and Pakistan first faced off in 1952 when Pakistan visited India for a Test series. Things may not have been tense at the time, but after three wars, the political tensions and animosity between the two nuclear-armed nations were often reflected on the field.
“It’s like going to war,” said Rishabh Sharma, a veteran India-based sports journalist who has covered more than 10 international cricket matches between the two countries.
“In these two countries, cricket is more than just a game,” Sharma told USA Today. “Millions of people follow cricket with a religious passion.”
Shastri echoed Sharma’s comments, telling USA Today that cricket is a religion “in this part of the world”.
“It’s like being born knowing how to hold a cricket bat and ball,” Shastri said.
Cricket and politics are so intertwined in the subcontinent that bad times on one side hurt the other, so political tensions have a negative impact on sport that the two nations rarely meet outside international tournaments like Sunday’s T20 match.
“One of the reasons this match has become so important and tense is the political and diplomatic ties between the two countries. Both countries are obsessed with just one sport, so this match attracts everyone’s attention,” said Faizan Lakhani, a Pakistan-based journalist who has covered seven ICC matches between Pakistan and India, most recently the 50-over World Cup in India in 2023.
Adding to the excitement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not allow Indian players to play in any T20 league around the world, and Pakistani players were banned from the Indian Premier League, the world’s most lucrative cricket tournament, following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which India blames on Pakistan.
“So much is at stake”
Former cricketer and Pakistan Cricket Board president Ramiz Raja told USA Today that emotions fuelled by politics and diplomatic relations add to tension at the match.
“Firstly, it’s political, secondly, the talent on both sides,” Raja said when asked what makes the game unique, “and thirdly, it’s emotional.”
“There is so much to bet on, people and fans are emotionally involved and the sport unites countries,” Raja said.
The high stakes of the game and the emotions of millions resting on just a handful of players puts enormous pressure on each of the 11 players on each team.
“The key to the match against India will be how they handle the pressure,” Afridi wrote in his ICC column. “Both the teams are blessed with talent, they just need to execute it well on the day.”
Sharma told USA Today that the pressure on the Indian cricket team will be so high in the days leading up to a match that there will be a complete ban on interaction with fans, media and even social media to protect the players’ mental wellbeing and ensure they are in a good mood on match day.
Fans of both countries may not mind losing in the World Cup, but losing to India or Pakistan is unacceptable as it is ultimately a matter of pride and honour.
Quality games
While political drama and patriotism fuel the passion for cricket, the quality of the matches also draws viewers from around the world. As Raja points out, there is no shortage of talent on both teams. Sharma adds that India boasts a powerful batting line-up while Pakistan has some of the most ferocious bowlers in the history of cricket. This dynamic sets the stage for matches that are, as Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar put it, “exhilarating,” unpredictable and keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
“The emotions that cricket fans go through during a match are truly like a rollercoaster,” said Syed Murtaza Kazmi, a doctor who travelled all the way from Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, to watch the match. “Weeks of anticipation build and patriotism soars. Discussing strategies and possible outcomes with friends in various forums becomes a daily routine.”
“When the match begins, there’s excitement and adrenaline. With every ball bowled and every run scored, there’s a wave of anxiety and elation. When a wicket falls, it feels like a heart-stopping moment followed by either jubilant celebration or deep despair, depending on which team you’re rooting for,” he added.
“It’s not just a game”
The high excitement among fans for the match and the scarce supply of such matches might also be the reason why the most expensive tickets in the T20 World Cup were for the India vs Pakistan match.
Despite the high fees, cricket fans are expected to flock to the stadium and fill the newly constructed Nassau County Stadium to capacity.
Pakistani cricket commentator Fakhr-e-Alam said in a video by X that he was travelling from Dubai to New York on a plane full of Indian and Pakistani cricket fans.
For fans like Kazmi, who traveled 24 hours from Islamabad to New York, the match is “more than just a game, it’s a spectacle that will captivate millions.”
“Already rooted in historical, political and cultural context, this rivalry makes every match up electric,” Kazmi said. “The passion and intensity on both sides creates an atmosphere unlike any other game.”
To sum it up in Afridi’s words, “The cricket rivalry between Pakistan and India is one of the fiercest, with a shared history, political backdrop, passionate fan base and some memorable matches over the years.”
But whatever the political climate, that’s not on display among the players, who are often seen cultivating camaraderie off the field and during practice, proving that no matter how high the stakes, it’s ultimately just a game.
Saman Shafiq is a featured news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact him at sshafiq@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @saman_shafiq7.
