India vs Pakistan T20 H2H Stats, T20 World Cup Record & Recent Form Breakdown

The India versus Pakistan contest in T20 is generally presented as all about the emotion and the history of the two nations, however the stats reveal a more definite story: India have been the better side in this short-form rivalry for a long time – and particularly in World Cups.

That does not make Pakistan any ‘less of a threat’, it simply shifts the pressure. India enter with a numerical advantage, whereas Pakistan know they have beaten India decisively before – and that a single, brilliant performance could change everything.

As the 2026 T20 World Cup game in Colombo is due to be played on a pitch that looks likely to favour spin bowlers, it’s sensible to separate what is important from what is merely background: the overall head-to-head, the World Cup record, and the recent form of each team as they go into the match.

Here is a complete overview – what has occurred, what is emerging as a trend, and what this suggests for the next forty overs.

Deep Dive

India vs Pakistan T20 H2H stats

India vs Pakistan T20 H2H stats: the key figures

Overall T20I head-to-head (India vs Pakistan):

These figures are unusually in favour of one team for a rivalry as strong as this. The simplest, and most likely, explanation is that India have more often coped well with the crucial moments – notably the middle overs where T20 games are usually decided.

However, head-to-head totals can conceal important details, so two things are important:

• Pakistan’s victories are generally spectacular. When Pakistan are winning, it is often because their bowling – either with the new ball or at the end of the innings – causes a batting collapse, or their batting chase is smooth and without issues.
• India’s victories come in a greater range of ways. India have defeated Pakistan in low-scoring matches, high-scoring matches, and matches where their top order failed and their middle order had to rebuild.

So, yes, India lead 13–3 – but more significant is how those wins were achieved.

T20 World Cup record

T20 World Cup record: where the rivalry is most obviously in India’s favour

India vs Pakistan at the T20 World Cup:

This is the statistic that influences the mood of the teams before every match.

India have won:

• the tied 2007 group match by means of a bowl-out,
• the 2007 final (the most famous T20 match in the rivalry),
• and a number of group-stage matches in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2022, and 2024.

Pakistan’s only win is also the one that India fans remember very clearly: the 2021 World Cup match in Dubai, where Pakistan chased the target without losing a wicket. It was not a fortunate night, or a scrappy finish. It was complete control.

That single result is important because it shows what Pakistan bring to every rematch: we can beat India in this format if we can successfully implement our plans.

India’s World Cup advantage is real. Pakistan’s confidence is also real. That is why these games always feel unpredictable, whatever the history says.

The last five India–Pakistan matches

The last five India–Pakistan T20 matches

If you want the most up-to-date reading on ‘recent rivalry form’, look at the last five matches. India have won all five, and the variety of locations tells its own tale.

1. Asia Cup 2025 (Dubai) – India won by 5 wickets (Final)
   A close chase, a composed finisher’s innings, and Pakistan were left feeling they were one partnership short.
2. Asia Cup 2025 (Dubai) – India won by 6 wickets (Super Four)
   India chased with control, preventing Pakistan from turning it into a spin contest.
3. Asia Cup 2025 (Dubai) – India won by 7 wickets (Group stage)
   India set the pace early and did not allow Pakistan to settle into a defensive bowling pattern.
4. T20 World Cup 2024 (New York) – India won by 6 runs
   A typical “defence under pressure”: India scored 119, Pakistan were unable to complete the chase, and the match became a test of resilience.
5. T20 World Cup 2022 (Melbourne) – India won by 4 wickets
   The match remembered for one outstanding chase, but in tactical terms it was about remaining competitive through Pakistan’s strongest overs and making the most of opportunities late in the innings.

This sequence of five successive wins does not mean the next one is certain. It does mean that Pakistan are still looking for a method that works dependably against India’s bowling in important matches.

What the overall record says

What the overall record says about playing styles

A rivalry can be very one-sided on paper and yet still be unpredictable on the field. India vs Pakistan T20s are unpredictable because the teams have different strengths.

India’s typical winning formula

• They survive the best new-ball bowling.
• They win the middle overs with sensible running between the wickets plus a period of acceleration.
• They finish with outstanding death bowling (or at least one match-defining death over).

Pakistan’s typical winning formula

• They take early wickets and force India to rebuild under the pressure of the score.
• They create a ‘dot ball’ situation in the middle overs through spin and pace variations. Pakistan’s chances, particularly with the way they’ve been playing, depend on keeping things straightforward in the run chase – and that’s more likely when an opening pair can last a long time.

The conditions in Colombo for the 2026 tournament are important, as a slower pitch reduces the number of ways to score, and that normally boosts Pakistan’s usual skills – provided they can protect their wickets and manage the rate they’re scoring at.

India’s 2026 World Cup start

India’s 2026 World Cup start so far:

India’s form in the early part of the competition has been convincing, and has also demonstrated versatility – they’ve won when they’ve been in control, and when they’ve been up against it.

• Against USA: India won by 29 runs, after a shaky start from their top order and a solid effort from the middle order which got them to a score that could be defended.
• Against Namibia: India won by 93 runs, having made 209/9 and then dismissed Namibia for 116.

Two things are obvious:

• India have already had an innings where they started poorly and finished well. That’s important in matches like India versus Pakistan, where the first three overs can go badly, but the game can still be won.
• India’s potential is high when their approach is clear. A total of 200+ in a tournament match isn’t just about the runs – it’s a statement that their batting line-up is happy to change pace.

The other aspect of their form is the health of the players and the consistency of the team selection. India have been looking after Abhishek Sharma’s fitness, and any change at the top will change how aggressively India can go for the first six overs.

Pakistan’s recent surge

Pakistan’s recent surge into the World Cup:

Pakistan’s form coming into this match is good – and not only because they’ve begun the World Cup without losing.

World Cup (group stage to date):

• They narrowly beat the Netherlands in a close run chase (a useful “practice” under pressure).
• They defeated the USA by 32 runs, with a total that gave their bowlers some leeway.

Immediately before the World Cup: Australia’s tour of Pakistan (T20Is)

Pakistan won the series 3–0, and the margins were very large:

• Won by 22 runs (168/8 v 146/8)
• Won by 90 runs (198/5 v 108)
• Won by 111 runs (207/6 v 96)

That isn’t “good form” – that’s a team that’s reached its peak.

This suggests three things about Pakistan at the moment:

• Their batting is able to put games beyond their opponents.
• Their bowlers have been ending innings, not simply controlling them.
• They’re arriving with the belief that they can beat good teams, and not simply get by.

India won’t be frightened by that, but they will respect it – particularly on a pitch where one collapse can finish a run chase quickly.

Form versus history in 2026

Form versus history: the real issue in 2026

When supporters debate, they generally choose one of two angles:

• “History says India.”
• “Form says Pakistan can win.”

Both can be right at the same time.

India’s record – particularly in World Cups – means they generally perform better when it matters. Pakistan’s recent run of big victories means they’re coming into the tournament with freedom, and teams that hit freely can turn any T20 on its head.

So what will decide the match? Usually two stages:

1) Powerplay: intention without risk

In recent India–Pakistan encounters, India have often survived Pakistan’s best powerplay overs. That’s been a key reason why the last five games went India’s way.

If India protect their wickets while still scoring at 7.5–8.5 an over, Pakistan’s bowling plans will start to look “okay” rather than “decisive”.

For Pakistan, the powerplay is about wickets more than how many runs are conceded. They don’t need three maiden overs. They need one or two wickets that force India into a slower middle order.

2) Middle overs: spin control

The Colombo conditions highlight spin bowling. India have Varun Chakravarthy as a middle-overs disruptor; Pakistan have Usman Tariq and other spin bowlers who are good at control and trickery.

The middle overs will decide whether:

• India can finish with a solid base, or
• Pakistan drag them into a finish where 55 off 30 feels like 65 off 30.

Dot balls are what matters here. In India vs Pakistan games, dot balls don’t just “put pressure on”. They create emotional shots. Emotional shots create wickets. The little numbers which are more important than the total wins and losses.

The little things that decide it

If you want to know what will really decide who wins, it isn’t the 13–3 overall record. Instead, look at the little things that keep coming up in India’s victories and Pakistan’s defeats.

1. When boundaries are hit
   On slower pitches, fours and sixes usually happen in groups. The side that manages to get one over – between the 18th and 20th – without losing a wicket, is very likely to win the innings.
2. Wickets remaining at the 15-over mark.
   If a team still has six or seven wickets at the 15-over point, they can take a bad over from either Bumrah or Shaheen and still finish well.
3. Who wins the “quiet overs”
   In every India versus Pakistan game, there’s a period where both teams don’t score much – singles, dot balls, a couple of twos. The team that doesn’t panic during that period generally wins the final five overs.

India’s current success in this rivalry is from being the calmer of the two for a longer time. Pakistan’s opportunity comes from making India hurry up earlier.

A handy, simple summary

A handy, simple summary before the match:

• Overall T20I record: India are ahead 13–3 (16 games, and one tie decided by a bowl-out).
• T20 World Cup record: India are ahead 7–1 (8 games).
• The last five games: India have won all five, including three in Dubai in 2025 and World Cup wins in 2022 and 2024.
• Current form: India are doing well in the 2026 group – haven’t lost a game so far; Pakistan are also doing well and have just beaten Australia 3–0 in a T20I series.

That’s the story, without the hype. The match itself will provide the excitement.

Important points to remember

• India have a large lead in the T20 games between the two countries: 13–3 in 16 T20Is (with one tie decided by a bowl-out).
• At T20 World Cups, India’s lead is even more significant: 7–1 in 8 games.
• India have won the last five T20 games between the two countries, including three in a row at the 2025 Asia Cup in Dubai.
• Pakistan’s recent form is excellent, including a 3–0 T20I series win against Australia – with very large margins – and an unbeaten start to the 2026 World Cup group.
• In Colombo, the game will probably depend on getting wickets in the powerplay and using spin well in the middle overs, and not on the rivalry itself.

To conclude

To conclude

The history of T20 games between India and Pakistan gives India the advantage, and the World Cup record gives them even more security. However, Pakistan aren’t coming into this as underdogs – they are coming in as a team which has been beating other teams easily and finishing games early.

That is why this game feels so important, despite the numbers. India need to play as the team which has won 13 of 16 games, and not as the team which is protecting its reputation. Pakistan need to turn their momentum into a plan – get early wickets, understand spin bowling, and chase the total without getting frantic.

If the game is still close going into the final five overs, history will be on India’s side. But if Pakistan create chaos earlier than that, history will quickly become unimportant.