The recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026 match between India and Pakistan threw us all for a loop – but not in the way you expected. So much has been said that it could be a documentary series in itself. It had hype, drama, anticipation, and more — much like Game of Thrones since it came out in 2011 and built up to its conclusion in 2019. Yet it turned out to be a snooze-fest, much like the finale where Jon Snow killed Daenerys Targaryen.
India win in Colombo by 61 runs it was supposed to be a spectacle. Instead, it felt like watching a rerun of what we’ve all seen too many times before. Chasing 176, Pakistan collapsed for 114 in just 18 overs – a batting implosion that was neither shocking nor particularly memorable. The problem wasn’t cricket itself, but what the match represented: the slow death of novelty in the sport’s greatest rivalry.
IND vs PAK: Complete Score | Highlighting
WINTER IS COMING FOR CRICKET
Time and time again, both India and Pakistan have come together for one obvious reason – it is the cash cow of the sport, with the big full-fledged nations and even smaller associations all getting a piece of the pie along with other stakeholders that include broadcasters, sponsors and others. The International Cricket Council knows this. Broadcasters know this. And more and more, fans know it too – even if many are tired of pulling emotional strings with diminishing returns.
The numbers don’t lie. An India-Pakistan clash can generate viewership numbers that surpass most cricket finals. Advertising prices are skyrocketing. Social media is exploding. For a few hours, cricket will become the center of the global sports universe. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: we’re killing the goose that lays the golden egg by forcing it to play in every group stage of every tournament.
WHY INDIA AND PAKISTAN ALWAYS MEET
Here’s what everyone knows but few openly admit: there is a seeming guarantee that India will face Pakistan whenever they play in the World Cup. It’s not a coincidence. That’s not luck. It’s a design. The organizers of the tournament ensure that these two teams come in the same group every time as they cannot resist the guaranteed TV ratings and sponsorship revenue.
That needs to change. A true randomization process would at least allow fans to actually enjoy the rivalry when it happens — and let the spotlight fall on someone else when it doesn’t. It also gives a chance for someone other than the usual suspects to shine in the audience’s eyes, and it also helps build a newer rivalry. Imagine Afghanistan versus England becoming an indispensable part of the tournament. Imagine New Zealand versus South Africa getting the prime-time slots and promotion build-up they deserve. India beat Pakistan comprehensively on Sunday (Courtesy: Reuters)
When India and Pakistan meet in a World Cup knockout match – semi-final or final – it’s a real danger. Everything is on the line. One game will determine who goes home and who continues to chase the trophy. But a group stage encounter? They have become celebrated warm-ups where both teams have safety nets. Even yesterday’s loss will not knock Pakistan out of the tournament. Where’s the drama in that?
The predictability has become stifling. A familiar script: weeks of build-up, bombastic TV panels dissecting each player’s form, former cricketers making bold predictions, fans on both sides engaged in predictable social media warfare. Then comes the match and it mostly fails to live up to the contrived hysteria. One team wins, the tournament moves on and we all move on – until the next mandatory India-Pakistan group stage match six months later.
Stop playing India vs Pakistan in every group stage match of any international tournament. It ruins the novelty factor. Talent also needs to be better supported. Politics usually play a big part in this, but what’s the harm in trying, eh?
OVERSATURATION COSTS
The numbers tell a damn story. India have faced Pakistan 24 times in multiple tournaments since their last bilateral series in 2013. Think about it: no home-and-away streak for over a decade, yet they’ve met 24 times in World Cups and multi-country tournaments. With the pattern now emerging of T20 World Cups being held every two years and the ODI World Cup every four years, the glut will only intensify. Moreover, if India reached the final of the World Test Championship and Pakistan were there, he would play there too.
The irony is cruel. The two nations will not play bilateral cricket for political reasons, yet tournament organizers ensure they meet repeatedly in the group stages where the stakes are lowest. It’s the worst of both worlds: fans get neither the extended engagement of a proper series nor the high drama of an elimination showdown. India and Pakistan have clashed 24 times since 2013 (Courtesy: PTI)
Meanwhile, cricket’s real problems fester. Developing nations struggle for visibility. Talented players from non-traditional cricketing countries hardly get a platform. The sport’s expansion into new markets is moving at a glacial pace – because why bother when you can watch the same India-Pakistan match many times over?
The parallels with Game of Thrones are apt. Just as HBO stretched this series beyond its narrative capacity, leading to a final season that satisfied almost no one, cricket’s administrators are stretching the India-Pakistan rivalry beyond its emotional capacity. Each forced encounter dilutes the magic a little more.
Yesterday’s match did not prove that Pakistan’s batting is fragile or that India’s bowling is supreme. It has proved that even the world’s most anticipated cricket rivalry can become mundane when overplayed. The solution is not rocket science: reserve these clashes for the knockout stages where the stakes are really high, invest in building new rivalries and give fans something new to care about.
Because if cricket continues on this path, we won’t have to worry about what kills the sport’s biggest rivalry. We did it ourselves – one meaningless group stage game after another.
T20 World Cup | T20 World Cup Schedule | T20 World Cup Points Table | T20 World Cup Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Published on:
February 16, 2026