The cricket rivalry between India vs Pakistan is among the fiercest and most historic in the sport’s history. It goes beyond just competition, driven by the intense enthusiasm of fans and deep-seated national pride.
Over time, legendary cricketers from both nations have made their mark with memorable batting performances in these thrilling India vs Pakistan matches, turning these encounters into legendary stories.
We explore top 5 Knocks In The IND vs PAK Matches: From Sachin’s 98 To Kohli’s 82
5. Younis Khan 267 in March 2005
Younis Khan celebrating his century against India
During the 2005 Test series between Pakistan and India, in a series dominated by Virender Sehwag’s explosive batting, Pakistan’s batting icon Younis Khan delivered a remarkable innings in the decisive third Test at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Khan played for over 11 hours, amassing 267 runs with 32 elegant boundaries and a six.
Khan, along with fellow centurion and captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, transformed Pakistan’s position from 7-2 to 323-2 by the end of the day, eventually leading to a first-innings total of 570 runs. In addition, Khan contributed a quick 84* off 98 balls in the second innings, securing a dominant 168-run victory that leveled the series.
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4. Sachin Tendulkar 98* in 2003 World Cup
Sachin Tendulkar in full glory during the 2003 World Cup
Amid the peak of tensions between India and Pakistan and with no bilateral matches for over four years, the two teams faced off in a 2003 World Cup game at Centurion. India was set a challenging target of 274 runs, and opener Sachin Tendulkar made the chase seem easy as he dominated bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Younis. Tendulkar delivered a remarkable performance, scoring 98 runs off 75 balls. He struck 12 fours and a six, including a memorable shot over third man off Akhtar in just the second over.
Thanks to Tendulkar’s impressive innings, India successfully chased down Pakistan’s score of 273-7, winning by six wickets with 26 balls to spare.
3. Gautam Gambhir 75 in T20 World Cup 2007 final
Gautam Gambhir in action during the 2007 T20 World Cup final
Amid the joyful buzz and thrill of the first-ever India vs Pakistan clash in a World Cup final, Gautam Gambhir, the opening batsman for the ‘Men in Blue,’ stole the spotlight with a brilliant 75 runs off 54 balls at Johannesburg in September 2007. With the inaugural T20 World Cup at stake, Gambhir’s outstanding performance led India to a solid total of 157-5 in their 20 overs.
Later that evening, bowlers RP Singh and Irfan Pathan supported Gambhir’s impressive innings by keeping Pakistan in check, allowing India to secure the historic T20 World Cup title at the Wanderers Stadium.
2. Saeed Anwar 194 in Pepsi Independence Cup 1997
Saeed Anwar celebrating his century against India
In the 1997 Pepsi Independence Cup match at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar scored 194 runs against India, hitting 22 fours and 5 sixes. His innings guided Pakistan to 327-5 in 50 overs, clinching their victory.
This innings stood as the highest individual score in ODI cricket for over ten years until Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry matched it against Bangladesh in August 2009.
1. Virat Kohli 82* in T20 World Cup 2022
Virat Kohli celebrating India’s win over Pakistan in 2022
Kohli exceeded expectations with an unbeaten 82 runs against Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup, highlighting his exceptional batting career.
In front of a roaring crowd of over 80,000 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, Kohli faced a challenging situation. India was struggling at 31-4 while chasing a target of 160 in their first match of the tournament. Kohli and Hardik Pandya steadied the innings and then accelerated the chase when India needed 48 runs off the last three overs.
His crucial sixes off Haris Rauf and a thrilling final over were key to India’s tense victory, making it one of the most exciting T20 matches ever.
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