The memes about the India-Pakistan rivalry are pretty funny, especially considering it's largely a media-created narrative, and from a results perspective, it doesn’t really look like much of a rivalry anymore. It has lost its competitive edge since 2013, with the hype running on history rather than current intensity? The quality of cricket between the two sides isn't the same as it once was.
India’s cricket continues to improve, while Pakistan seems to be stuck in a cycle of inconsistency and mediocrity. In fact, the hype is probably more thrilling than the cricket itself.
Looking at the India vs Pakistan ODIs in ICC events and the Asia Cup since the 2015 World Cup, the numbers tell a different story.
In their 10 meetings, Pakistan has won just once — in the 2017 Champions Trophy final. India has won eight times, and one match was abandoned due to rain. Even more concerning are the margins by which India has beaten Pakistan: 76 runs (Adelaide 2015), 124 runs (Birmingham 2017), 8 wickets (Dubai 2018), 9 wickets (Dubai 2018), 89 runs (Manchester 2019), 228 runs (Colombo 2023), 7 wickets (WC 2023), and now 6 wickets (CT 2025) in Dubai.
Clearly, Pakistan hasn’t even come close in these encounters, which only strengthens the argument that their 2017 CT final win was more of a fluke than anything else.