India Vs Pakistan Preview, ICC Women's World Cup 2025: IND-W Look To Continue Dominance Amid Diplomacy Row

Boiling emotions, sky-high television ratings, and hysterical fans – these are common threads connecting any cricket match between India and Pakistan. However, in women's cricket, this associated drama often takes a backseat on the pitch. While a theatrical ambience might persist, the rivalry has, in reality, unfolded as a one-sided script, consistently favouring India.

The two teams will meet again at R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday, October 5, during the ICC Women's World Cup 2025. The match, amid heightened diplomatic tensions, highlights a significant disparity in on-field performance and a lack of true cricketing competitiveness.

India's Overwhelming Performance Record

India's dominance dictates any match-up against Pakistan. While Pakistan has managed three victories in 16 T20Is, they have never beaten India in 11 ODI attempts. Former Indian women's chief selector Hemlata Kala agreed with the sentiment in a conversation with PTI.

"It's a game of cricket and anything can happen on Sunday. But in reality, there is no competition," Kala said. "You look at the stats, India has never lost to Pakistan."

Fans across the border often talk about rewriting history, but the gulf between the two teams remains consistently wide. India's comprehensive lead makes the term 'rivalry' seem misplaced. True sporting rivalries demand balance, with both teams exchanging victories and each having a genuine chance to win. This particular match-up, however, has offered nothing of the sort.

These games carry different implications for the two sides. For India, victories against Pakistan largely serve as routine check-points, minor triumphs within larger objectives like World Cup runs or tournament openers. "I would say India should just focus on reaching the top four first," Kala said.

For Pakistan, however, each encounter revolves around survival, a persistent effort to bridge a gap that has only widened over time, rather than narrowed.

Disputes In India-Pakistan Clashes

The teams will compete against a backdrop of three weeks of high drama involving their male counterparts during the Asia Cup 2025. This culminated in champions India refusing to accept the trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi.

In an extraordinary scene, Naqvi refused to yield his right to present the cup, walking away with it. The winning team is yet to receive the trophy.

Considering the Pakistan women's team's tame seven-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in their tournament opener and India's commanding 59-run victory against Sri Lanka, Sunday's fixture appears set to follow a familiar script on the field. This narrative will remain frozen until Pakistan manage to break their losing streak and secure a first-ever win against India.

No Handshake In IND-W Vs PAK-W?

The R Premadasa Stadium could witness high tension beyond the cricketing action on Sunday. Worsening relations between the two countries, following a terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, have sharpened the contest's edge.

The Indian government continues to permit matches against Pakistan solely in multi-nation tournaments, while bilateral cricket remains suspended.

As a result, the Indian women's team, much like their male counterparts during the Asia Cup, will likely forego the customary handshake with their Pakistani opponents. While the on-field action may not be a spectacle given current trends, the fast setting-in non-cordial norms between the players might generate off-field drama.

(With PTI Inputs)