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Unbeaten Babar: When Pakistan Humiliated India To Win By 10-Wickets In T20 World Cup


Pakistan annihilated India by 10 wickets at the 2021 T20 WC [Source: @T20WorldCup]Pakistan annihilated India by 10 wickets at the 2021 T20 WC [Source: @T20WorldCup]

Team India holds a stellar record against Pakistan in ICC World Cups, across both ODIs and T20Is. However, India’s impeccable track record was tarnished for the first time in 2021, during the 13th World Cup clash between the two arch-rivals.

When Pakistan gave India a reality check in a World Cup

Back on October 24, 2021; Team India and Pakistan crossed paths at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium for the opening Group 2 match of the 2021 T20 World Cup. Batting first, the ‘Men in Blue’ lost both openers, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, to Shaheen Afridi (3-31) within just the first three overs of the innings.

Shadab Khan also got rid of a well-set Rishabh Pant while Hasan Ali prevented Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja from flourishing. Team India still reached a competitive 151-7 from 20 overs courtesy of a counterattacking 57 from then-captain Virat Kohli.

In response, Pakistan openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan cautiously carved 43 runs without a wicket in the powerplay overs, and 71-0 at the halfway stage of the innings. Capitalizing their start, both cricketers ended up listing blistering half-centuries, and stormed Pakistan past India’s 151-run total with all their 10 wickets intact in the 18th over of the game.

The outcome marked Pakistan’s first-ever win over India in an ICC World Cup game after succumbing to 12 straight defeats. The win also set-up Pakistan’s unbeaten and table-topping Group 2 campaign to qualify for the semifinals, where they lost to eventual champions Australia.

Even though Babar Azam (68* off 52) and Mohammad Rizwan (79* off 55) dished out sizzling fifties, it was Pakistan paceman Shaheen Afridi who walked away with the ‘Player of the Match’ honors.