Asia Cup classics! Most thrilling IND vs PAK games

India and Pakistan isn’t just a rivalry. Truth be told, over the past few decades, it has become a rather one sided affair given India’s imposing dominance over Pakistan, their long term subcontinental

rivals in the great sport of cricket. The two teams have been playing in Asia Cup contests for over two and a half decades now and even before the 2025 edition of Asia Cup begins, which by the way, will be a T20 format contest, it is worthwhile to remember the past encounters between India and Pakistan.

With India definitely holding the edge over their arch-rivals, perhaps also primed to enter the 2025 contest as firm favourites. That is even as the team no longer has Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma in its ranks. But that said, let us take a moment to recollect three most thrilling India vs Pakistan matches in Asia Cup history.

Let's take a look at three most thrilling India vs Pakistan matches in Asia Cup history:

1. India’s belter of a 2023 win that hollowed Pakistan

A year before the last year, which isn’t too long ago, India registered an incredible, inspiring and timely triumph over their arch-rivals Pakistan in the fifty-over format. The contest took place at the celebrated R. Premadasa ground with India eventually making lightwork of Pakistan who were tasked, let us remember, to chase down 357 in the end. But before India’s spin wizard Kuldeep Yadav’s brilliance that removed big names such as Salman Agha and Fakhar Zaman, all the heroics belonged to the dashing Virat Kohli who made a brilliant 122 (just 94 deliveries) and KL Rahul who scored 111 (off just 106).

The two shared a powerful, game changing and remarkable 233-run stand that was defined by powerful batting, surreal gap finding and precise timing. Pakistan’s bowlers were found clueless and even as they had Afridi, Naseem and Haris Rauf, all of the three big names were left scratching their heads in front of the destructive blades of Kohli and Rahul. In the end, a huge 228-run win prevailed.

2. India humble Pakistan in a thumping win of 2010

Perhaps one of those rare occasions where both the team fielded the most balanced units respectively, the 2010 Asia Cup contest was one to savour and one where India had the prominence of a line up featuring Dhoni, Sehwag, Gambhir, young Kohli and Rohit, among others. But on the other hand, their opponents were no lame pushovers; Pakistan comprised a team featuring the experienced Razzaq, the enterprising Umar Akmal and the wonderful Shoaib Malik.

Batting first at Sri Lanka’s Dambulla, Pakistan put forth a challenging, if not enormously daunting, 267 on board. While Salman Butt, the opener, played one of his finest knocks in that 74, Shoaib Malik further added momentum with a useful 39. There were useful contributions further down the order with Afridi scoring a timely and rampant 32 off 25, while Kamran Akmal made a quickfire fifty.

Each time an Indian bowler picked up a useful wicket, Praveen Kumar, Bhajji and Zaheer Khan, doing the good work, Pakistan would bounce back strongly. In reply with India needing 268 to win, the openers got the team off to a flier.

Present coach but then frontline top order bat, Gambhir played what could be called a great knock in ODI cricket especially against India’s arch rivals as his bat produced 83 in a timely fashion off just 97 deliveries. Even as Sehwag and Kohli came and went without much ado, Gambhir pressed on with Dhoni, his stable partner at the other end. The captain made a courageous 56 that came off 71 and thus the fourth wicket stand brought India back into the game.

Later on, Raina’s quickness in scoring exemplified by his 34 off 27 took India to safer seas. Even Harbhajan Singh when most needed scored an unbeaten 15; this included a famous huge six that landed several rows back into the stands with Shoaib Akhtar left stunned. Eventually India overcame a gritty ask by Pakistan and roared supreme. The game was aced by India by 3 wickets.

3. Pakistan's impressive win over India in Asia Cup 1997

In the third march of the Asia Cup, that was held in Sharjah in 1997, the one dayer’s outcome was a rather interesting one. Batting first in Sharjah, Pakistan scored a big score of 266 for the loss of 9 wickets. Well, truth be told, in those days, a 250+ total, especially if it reached the confines of a 260 or plus was considered challenging and not just a lame easypeesy task. However, on that occasion, Pakistan were spurred by Inzi’s 88 off 100 deliveries, a fantastic effort that was well supported by Aamir Sohail scoring 40 at the top order with the legend Wasim Akram scoring a timely 50, to be precise.

When it came to India’s turn to chase 266, Prabhakar and Tendulkar, the two openers were bundled out with the collective score reading 4. Surely, Sidhu and Manjrekar did try to salvage a broken inning going nowhere by scoring useful fifties, the former scoring 54, to be precise, but it wasn’t ever going to be enough in front of Aaqib Javed’s scintillating fifer that caught the team off guard. Conceding just 19 runs off his 9 overs but clinching half of India’s ODI wickets in that game, Javed ruled and India suffered. Resultantly, Pakistan enjoyed a big 97-run win over India. But that was so far back in time, 1997!