Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has commented on Pakistan’s sudden reversal of its boycott stance against India. After a two-week deadlock between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), both bodies finally reached an agreement, and the Pakistan government subsequently granted permission for the team to play against India on February 15.
Reacting to the announcement, Ganguly welcomed the decision and emphasized that sports and politics should remain separate. He also expressed hope that Pakistan would present a strong challenge to India so that the match does not become one-sided.
“I don’t really know all those things, man—what keeps happening at the government level or why it happens. But the match is happening, and that’s a good thing. Sports are separate—sports and politics are different. It will be a good match, and India–Pakistan has always produced great games. The competition hasn’t really been that strong over the past few years, but hopefully Pakistan will play well. Because to play against India, you have to play very well—India is a very strong team,” Ganguly told ANI.
India vs Pakistan in T20Is: A dominant record
India hold a strong advantage over Pakistan in T20Is, winning 12 out of the 16 matches played between the two teams, with one match ending in a tie. India have been especially dominant since September 5, 2022, remaining unbeaten in the last nine encounters across formats.
Pakistan’s last win against India in international cricket came on September 4, 2022, during the Asia Cup in Dubai. Since then, India have won eight of the nine matches played between the two sides, with one game ending in no result. Notably, India have won the last seven completed encounters between the two teams.
Given this record, Pakistan will face immense pressure ahead of the upcoming match as they seek to end their long winless streak against their arch-rivals.
