Although Pakistan and India no longer play bilateral series, they still face each other in major tournaments such as the ODI World Cup, Twenty20 World Cup, Asia Cup, and Champions Trophy.

These matches are not just ordinary games; they are cultural moments that we remember for decades and pass down to younger generations. When Pakistan loses to India, emotions run high—effigies of cricketers are burned, and players are vilified as though defeat was a choice. When Pakistan wins, we celebrate wildly, welcoming the team at the airport and even gathering outside their homes. Cricket against India is more than a sport; it is a matter of national pride.

For a country struggling with violence, corruption, political turmoil, and terrorism, there are very few moments when we put aside our regional identities and unite as one nation. A Pakistan vs. India match is one such moment, bringing together people from all walks of life, all donning the national jersey. It’s a time when you can see people wearing a Pakistan jersey while watching a game at home with family and friends. The same can be said for India, a country grappling with its own caste system and political challenges.

No analysis captures this dynamic better than Netflix’s new documentary series, The Greatest Rivalry: India vs. Pakistan.

A deep dive into cricket’s fiercest
rivalry

Divided into three episodes, this documentary series brings together some of the biggest cricketing names from both countries. Pakistani legends such as Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Ramiz Raja appear alongside Indian greats like Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Sunil Gavaskar, Shikhar Dhawan, and Ravi Chandran Ashwin. It also features insights from sports writers, journalists and historians, including Osman Samiuddin, Nadeem Paracha, Ayaz Memon, Aanchal Malhotra, and Sharda Ugra.

The series takes us back to a time before the rise of Twenty20 cricket, when Test matches held enormous significance and true skill was needed to play 90 overs each day for five consecutive days.

Legends, stories,
and icons

The documentary explores the stories behind some of the most intense matches and the players who made them memorable. Journalists and former cricketers explain why this rivalry matters so much—why every victory is celebrated as a national triumph and every defeat feels like a collective loss.

Virender Sehwag, who played for India from 1999 to 2013, sums it up: “An India-Pakistan match is more than a bat-and-ball game. It’s much bigger than that.” Remember Sehwag? The man who made 300 runs in a Test match while playing against Pakistan in Pakistan? What a champion batsman.

Waqar Younis, Pakistan’s former fast bowler (1989 – 2004), who also captained Pakistan for a period and coached the international team multiple times, reinforces the sentiment: “Pakistan-India’s rivalry, I’ll put right on at the top. There is no match when India-Pakistan play.”

“Cricket against India is more than a sport; it is a matter of national pride. For a country struggling with violence, corruption, political turmoil, and terrorism, there are very few moments when we put aside our regional identities and unite as one nation. A Pakistan vs. India match is one such moment, bringing together people from all walks of life, all donning the national jersey. It’s a time when you can see people wearing a Pakistan jersey while watching a game at home with family and friends. The same can be said for India, a country grappling with its own caste system and political challenges.”

R. Ashwin, who played for India from 2010 to 2024 (he retired from international cricket just this past December), one of India’s best spin bowlers, even suggests that this rivalry surpasses the famed Ashes series between England and Australia: “I think this (India-Pakistan cricket rivalry) is bigger than the Ashes.”

A timely documentary

With the ICC Champions Trophy set to begin in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9, this documentary arrives at a perfect time. While it touches on the teams’ World Cup histories, it primarily focuses on an era when both sides were at their peak, producing cricketing icons.

India boasted legendary batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, V.V.S. Laxman, and Yuvraj Singh. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s bowling lineup was unparalleled, featuring Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis, along with formidable batsmen like Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Moin Khan, and Javed Miandad.

Through interviews with players from both sides, the documentary reveals the immense pressure they faced while playing in these high-stakes matches. Unlike the hushed atmosphere of a Wimbledon final, cricket thrives on the deafening roar of thousands of fans, making every ball bowled and run scored a high-energy spectacle.

Sehwag identifies the late ‘90s to the 2000s as the golden era of India-Pakistan cricket—a period when both teams were at their strongest and their clashes were truly competitive. India toured Pakistan during the 2003-04 season and though India did win, Pakistan didn’t just give away the matches. Until the last ball was bowled, no one knew what the final result would be. In five ODIs, the eventual result was 3-2.

Pakistan also toured India in 2005 and it was a time when Pakistan had players such as Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Inzamam ul Haq, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq and they won the ODI (One Day International) series 4-2 and while they didn’t win the Test series, they managed to draw the latter.

More than just
a game

Former cricketer and ex-PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja puts it aptly: “I think it’s the political garnish that makes this rivalry world-class.” Indeed, the roots of this rivalry go back to the partition of the subcontinent in 1947, the wars between the two nations, and the many political and military skirmishes that have followed.

Sehwag reflects on this shared history: “Before India and Pakistan were formed, they were one country, one nation. Two brothers were separated.”

Shoaib Akhtar adds, “Though we lived with each other for thousands of years, our differences are now great. When we have all that, when we come to watch a match, we bring along all that baggage. Then the emotions blast out immensely.”

Above all, this documentary sheds light on the reason behind this historic rivalry through the eyes of legendary players and seasoned journalists. In doing so, it has not tried to make one side look better than the other. It has deciphered why this rivalry exists, why some players will always remain iconic, and why a match between India-Pakistan not only matters to the people on both sides but also to every individual connected to the two sides.

When cricket’s history is written, the players featured in this documentary will be remembered as the brightest stars who made the game thrilling. The documentary does not shy away from controversies like match-fixing, a dark cloud that has loomed over both teams. Instead, it examines how such scandals impact players’ psyches.

Pakistani journalist and author Nadeem Paracha explains how India’s victory in the 1983 World Cup changed everything.

Under Kapil Dev’s captaincy, India defeated the formidable West Indies, who had dominated previous tour-naments. This unexpected win marked the beginning of India’s rise as a global cricketing powerhouse. A similar and unexpected victory for Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup also made them the most unpredictable and exciting team for fans of the game as well as the entire nation. From that day onwards, no one could count them out.

Presently, we have developed a new generation of cricketers, some of whom have made us incredibly proud (looking at you, Babar Azam).

However, personally speaking, there is no greater spectacle than watching Shoaib Akhtar walk almost to the boundary rope, start his run-up, reach the bowling crease, and deliver some of the fastest balls in cricketing history. Watching some of cricket’s greatest batsmen, like Tendulkar or Sehwag, completely bowled out, is always a thrilling sight.

For fans of cricket, history, or even political drama, The Greatest Rivalry: India vs. Pakistan is an unmissable series that captures the essence of one of the most intense rivalries in sports history. Watching this also builds excitement for the upcoming Cham-pions Trophy. Here’s to the Pakistan cricket team. Let’s hope they bring home the trophy.