Netflix released The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan on February 7, 2025. The documentary explores the long-standing rivalry between the two nations through cricket and its historical context.
Dating back to 1947, it highlights key issues that have shaped relations, including territorial disputes. Since their first match in 1952, India vs Pakistan games have remained highly competitive.
This guide focuses on some of the most notable encounters between 1999 and 2008.
India and Pakistan: History of Wars and Conflicts
Since the end of British colonial rule in India in 1947, India and Pakistan have had many disagreements over territorial division, particularly the issue of Kashmir’s status. This led to four major wars (1947, 1965, 1971, 1999).
The main battlefields of these four wars were concentrated in the “Kashmir Disputed Area.” The total death toll in both countries sums up to between 400,000 and 3 million people, including both civilians and soldiers.
India-Pakistan War Timeline
🔥The actions that have led to war are something I can never condone. It’s hard to sympathize with those who start conflicts like that.
Netflix has adapted the documentary The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan, which primarily focuses on the 1999 series of Test matches and One Day Internationals between the Pakistan team and India.
That same year, the Kargil War broke out, leading to heightened tensions between the two countries, and cricket matches were suspended once again.
It wasn’t until 2003 that the Indian team visited Pakistan after nearly 15 years.
Exchange tours resumed in 2006, but were stopped again following the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, which led to the full suspension of all exchanges.
India vs Pakistan: The Most Spectacular Cricket Encounters
As of 2025, India and Pakistan have faced each other 207 times. Pakistan has won 88 times, while India has claimed victory 75 times. There are 44 matches that are not included in the count (due to draws, cancellations, or issues like safety or political reasons)
The historical encounters include Test matches, ODIs, and T20s. However, in most major international tournaments and World Cups, India has dominated most of the major tournaments.
India vs Pakistan Iconic Matches Timeline
The India-Pakistan series between 1999 and 2007 was the most thrilling. In 2004, to facilitate cricket engagement between the two countries, Pakistan issued “cricket visas” to Indian fans, allowing tens of thousands to travel to Pakistan to watch the matches, and ensuring smooth competition between the players of both nations.
1999 Tour Series
In 1999, the Pakistan national team and the India national team engaged in a series of matches, with the Kolkata encounter being a historical moment that many Indians would wish it never happened.
In that match, Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar took two wickets, dismissing Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. However, in the Delhi match, Anil Kumble made a comeback, taking all 10 wickets to lead India to victory.
In the final match in Chennai, although India lost, the Chennai fans still gave Pakistan a standing ovation. This gesture helped reduce the tension between the two nations significantly.
1999 Kargil War Halts Cricket Engagement
In mid-1999, the Kargil War broke out, marking the fourth India-Pakistan conflict. The war took place in the Kashmir border region and resulted in significant casualties on both sides.
As a result, relations between the two countries rapidly deteriorated, and cricket exchanges between India and Pakistan were immediately suspended.
2004-2007 Cricket Exchange Tours
In 2004, exchanges between the two countries resumed. Over the next two years, the Indian and Pakistan national teams engaged in a series of matches across both nations.
One of the most talked-about matches took place in Multan, where Virender Sehwag scored an impressive 309 runs, earning him the title of “Multan Sultan” among Indians.
Sehwag also sparked a new wave in cricket. Traditionally, the opening batsman was the team’s strongest defender, tasked with consuming balls. However, Sehwag broke this mold by aggressively attacking, putting huge pressure on the opponents from the very start.
2008 Mumbai Terrorist Attacks Halt Cricket Engagements
The friendly interaction between the two nations came to an abrupt stop in 2008, the same year the world’s biggest cricket league, the IPL, was founded. Many Pakistani players had initially joined the IPL, gaining significant exposure, market reach, and rewards.
However, in 2008, a series of horrific events known as the “Mumbai Terrorist Attacks” occurred, resulting in the deaths of 164 people. It was later confirmed that the attacks were carried out by a Pakistani terrorist group.
As a result, India stopped issuing cricket-related visas for Pakistani players, preventing them from participating in the IPL.
2025 India vs Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy Group A Match
The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy group stage begins in February, hosted by Pakistan. However, due to India’s refusal to play in Pakistan, all of India’s matches will be moved to the Dubai International Cricket Stadium after coordination between the two countries.
If you can’t make it to Dubai on February 23rd, make sure to stay in front of the TV or watch the ICC Live for Free on Vegas11.
Of course, we always support India and believe that India is one of the top teams in the world. If you want to place cricket bets, you can visit Vegas11, which offers 8 different ‘Sportbooks’, where you can find the best odds and market.
FAQs
The 1999 conflict led to a total suspension of bilateral cricket exchanges between India and Pakistan. The diplomatic strain was so severe that the two nations did not compete in a bilateral series for nearly five years, finally resuming play during the historic 2003–2004 tour.
During the 2004 “Friendship Series,” Pakistan issued thousands of special visas to Indian cricket fans. This unique initiative allowed for unprecedented cross-border travel and remains a landmark example of using sports as a tool for peace and diplomacy.
The exclusion stems from the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, after which India halted most sports exchanges. While Pakistani athletes participated in the inaugural 2008 IPL season, they have not been granted visas or auctioned by teams since, due to ongoing security and diplomatic considerations.
Virender Sehwag earned the title after his monumental 309-run innings in Multan during the 2004 tour. He was the first Indian to score a triple century in Tests, famously revolutionizing the opening role with his fearlessly aggressive scoring rate.
The match was held on February 23, 2025, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Under the “Hybrid Model” approved by the ICC, India’s matches were moved to neutral venues in the UAE after they declined to travel to the primary host nation, Pakistan.
