As soon as the Champions Trophy matches were announced, the entire cricketing world looked forward to one particular fixture. India vs Pakistan is more than just an on-field rivalry—it’s a rousing phenomenon on par with some of the greatest sporting match-ups like that between Brazil and Argentina in football. But the way things are going, it seems to be an earlier generation’s obsession. The last few matches have been tilted to one side—India’s. This Sunday’s clash showed a stark difference in quality between the two. For any sporting rivalry to survive, the level of competition has to match the hyped-up anticipation. It’s a rule of sports that if you only have the latter, the buzz will fizzle out sooner or later.
Take the case of hockey. In that sport too, an India vs Pakistan fixture was something to look forward to for a long time. These days though, it’s just another match because of India’s dominance. Cricket may be headed the same way. Not just against India; the hosts also failed to beat New Zealand in Karachi and are now battling to avoid elimination from the tournament. Since Pakistan’s win at the 2021 T20 World Cup, India have emerged victorious five times in seven matches. Sure, the likes of Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah have scripted new chapters in this rivalry, but it need not be this predictable.
There was an extra dose of excitement this time, because these two nations do not play each other than at tournaments organised by the international and Asian cricket councils. Even when they play, geopolitical considerations often force matches to be held at neutral venues. And bilateral series between the two do not feature on the ICC calendar. The rarity of the fixture adds to the hype. But for the romance to stay alive, both sides have to add colour. The games used to mean a lot because players from both sides produced heroics and added their own touches to the storied rivalry. That’s missing now. For the romance to be rekindled, Pakistan will have to meet the standards they set for themselves in the past. Otherwise, the world will move on. No wonder India vs Australia seems to be the new flavour in the world of cricket.