NEW DELHI: It's been quite some time since fans last witnessed a bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan. The last such instance was 2012-13. The two teams have only faced each other in multi-nation tournaments since then, like the Asia Cup and ICC events. The absence of regular India-Pakistan matches has left fans yearning for the return of those thrilling encounters.
Recently, Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley expressed interest in hosting an India-Pakistan bilateral series in Australia. But that didn't find much interest among the two boards.
In the recently concluded 2024 T20 World Cup, the two nations clashed in a group-stage match in New York, with India securing a narrow six-run victory. Rohit Sharma's Indian team went on to win the trophy, while the then captain Babar Azam’s Pakistan got eliminated in the group stage.
1/10:Virat Kohli's record-breaking journey: All major milestones
ANI
2/10:80 International Centuries
<p><br /><br />With 80 international centuries across formats, Kohli is second only to Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 international tons.<br /><br /><br /></p>AFP
3/10:Most player of the series award in T20I
Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket sensation, has achieved a remarkable feat in the shortest format of the game. With an impressive tally of seven Player of the Series awards in T20 Internationals, he has surpassed all other players in this category.Agencies
4/10:First Batter in ODI History to Score 50 Hundreds:
<p><br /><br />Kohli became the first cricketer to score 50 ODI hundreds, a remarkable achievement that underscores his dominance in the format.<br /><br /><br /></p>PTI
5/10:Most T20I 50s
With an impressive tally of 38 half-centuries in T20 Internationals, Kohli has solidified his position as the batsman with the most 50+ scores in this format.PTI
6/10:ICC Cricketer of the Year
<p>Kohli won the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2017 and 2018, recognizing his excellence across all formats.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
7/10:Most Centuries in Chases in ODIs
<p>Known as the 'Chase Master,' Kohli has scored an unparalleled 27 centuries while chasing targets, making him one of the greatest match-winners in ODI history.</p><br /><br /><br />ANI
8/10:Fastest to 3500 runs in T20I
Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket sensation, has achieved yet another remarkable milestone in his illustrious career. The talented batsman has become the quickest player to reach 3,500 runs in T20 Internationals, accomplishing this feat in a mere 96 innings.PTI
9/10:First Indian to Score a Century in Day-Night Tests
<p><br /><br />Kohli made history by scoring a century against Bangladesh in 2019, becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat in a day-night Test.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
10/10:Winner of all three ICC white ball tournaments
Virat Kohli has become the second Indian cricketer to achieve the remarkable feat of winning all three ICC white ball tournaments. He follows in the footsteps of the legendary MS Dhoni, who was the first Indian player to accomplish this milestone.ANIThe last time Pakistan hosted India was in 2005-06, where Pakistan won the three-match Test series 1-0, while India claimed the ODI series with a 4-1 margin.
Pakistan have hosted teams from Australia, Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies in the past few years. It has led to former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal questioning the BCCI, asking why India cannot travel to Pakistan when teams like Australia have done so.
"India vs Pakistan matches bring fans together. That's why it's known as the mother of all clashes. We toured India several times—in 2004, 2007, and 2011. We received so much love from India and a lot of support. There's no doubt that a home team always gets support from its home crowd, but we also got the same kind of support. Indian fans showered us with love whenever the Pakistan team, including me, stepped out of the hotel room, I mean, off the field. If any team wants to play good cricket or enjoy the game, please visit India. Indian fans are the best in the world," Akmal told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.
1/10:Top Indian run scorers in men's ODI history
AFP
2/10:Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma, the current captain of the Indian cricket team, has surpassed Rahul Dravid, his former coach, to secure the fourth spot on the list of highest run-scorers for India in One Day Internationals (ODIs).Agencies
3/10:Sachin Tendulkar
<p>Sachin Tendulkar played 452 innings in his ODI career, amassing 18,426 runs with a highest score of 200*. He maintained an impressive batting average of 44.83 and scored 49 centuries.</p>Agencies
4/10:Virat Kohli
<p>Virat Kohli, in his ongoing career, has played 282 innings, scoring 13,886 runs. His highest score is 183, and he boasts an average of 58.34, with 50 centuries to his name.</p>AFP
5/10:Sourav Ganguly
<p>Sourav Ganguly played 297 innings, accumulating 11,221 runs with a highest score of 183. He had a batting average of 40.95 and scored 22 centuries during his ODI career.</p>Agencies
6/10:Rohit Sharma
<p>Rohit Sharma has played 256 innings, scoring 10,831 runs, with a record highest score of 264. He has a batting average of 49.23 and has scored 31 centuries.</p>Agencies
7/10:Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma, an exceptional batsman, holds the record for hitting the most sixes (330) for India in international cricket. His batting prowess is exemplified by his incredible world record score of 264 in ODI. PTI
8/10:Rahul Dravid
<p>Rahul Dravid played 314 innings, scoring 10,768 runs, with a highest score of 153. He had a batting average of 39.15 and scored 12 centuries in his ODI career.</p>Agencies
9/10:MS Dhoni
<p>MS Dhoni played 294 innings, amassing 10,599 runs, with a highest score of 183*. He maintained a batting average of 50.23 and scored 9 centuries.</p>Agencies
10/10:Mohammad Azharuddin
<p>Mohammad Azharuddin played 308 innings, scoring 9,378 runs, with a highest score of 153*. He had a batting average of 36.92 and scored 7 centuries.</p>Agencies"Similarly, Pakistan fans love Indian cricketers. Whenever India traveled to Pakistan, our fans greeted them with smiles. Virender Sehwag has spoken about the love he received in Pakistan many times. Dada (Sourav Ganguly) has also talked a lot about his love for Pakistan fans. Our fans support the Indian team just as they support the Pakistan team. We all want the India vs Pakistan bilateral series to happen. We are missing the India vs Pakistan series," he said.
Akmal was part of the Pakistan cricket team that toured India in 2005, 2007 and 2013. He played against India when Pakistan hosted them in 2004 and 2006.
"I consider myself lucky that I traveled to India and played several series, both home and away. I really enjoyed those times. India should travel to Pakistan, and Pakistan should go to India. Let's keep the political matters aside and play and love cricket," Akmal said.
"When a team like Australia can visit Pakistan, why not India? The India-Pakistan bilateral series should happen. Both governments need to sit and talk. This will benefit cricket," he said.
India's participation in the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan next February-March is also in doubt, owing to the tense political relations between the two countries.
"Pehle aapne Asia Cup le liya, ab Champions Trophy ki baatein kar rahe hain. Kyun kar rahe hain aap aisa? (first you took away the Asia Cu from Pakistn, now taliing about Champions Trophy, why?)...Pakistan has done a lot of hard work to bring cricket back to the country. If India invites Pakistan, our government will never stop us. They will say, 'Go and play.' The Indian government should do the same. Let's keep politics aside and play cricket," Akmal added.
'PAKISTAN PLAYERS IN IPL'
Pakistan players have been barred from the Indian Premier (IPL) League due to political tensions between the two nations
In the inaugural IPL season, some top Pakistani cricketers, including Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, and Sohail Tanvir, showcased their talent.
Tanvir also emerged as the leading wicket-taker in 2008. However, after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, IPL banned Pakistani players.
"BCCI has its own rules. If the bilateral series resumes, the debate about Pakistan players not playing in the IPL will also end. If you don't want to give us a chance in the IPL, that's fine with us. We don't need it. We are not worrying about those lines. We have our own PSL (Pakistan Super League). I know PSL can't match IPL in terms of facilities and finances, but let's play international cricket," Kamran said.
