The rivalry between India and Pakistan is equivalent to that between Australia and England in the Ashes. The Asian arch-rivals always produce thrilling encounters whenever they lock horns against each other on the cricket field. Unfortunately, because of the political tensions between the two nations, India and Pakistan, no longer take part in bilateral series.
They only compete against each other at the ICC events. The Men in Blue have always gotten the better of their nemesis in the grand competitions. Here’s a look at the top five Indian batsmen with the most World Cup runs against Pakistan.
Suresh Raina – 110 runs:
Former Indian all-rounder, Suresh Raina played two World Cup matches against Pakistan in his career. His first appearance came in the high-pressure semifinal match of the 2011 World Cup. The left-handed batsman played a match-winning knock for India as he scored an unbeaten 36* and guided the team to a decent score. Four years later, Raina thrived the Pakistani bowlers once again with a 74-run knock at the Adelaide Oval.
Mohammad Azharuddin – 118 runs:
One of the most successful Indian ODI players, Mohammad Azharuddin, played three games versus the arch-rivals at the grandest stage. He scored 118 runs in those three innings, with his highest score being 59. Azharuddin had a decent strike rate of 80.27 in those games while he struck a total of 8 fours and two sixes against Pakistan in World Cups.
Rohit Sharma – 155 runs:
Indian vice-captain, Rohit Sharma is one of the only two Indian batsmen to have scored a century against Pakistan in Cricket World Cups. He achieved that feat in 2019 when he bashed the Men in Green at Old Trafford. The Hitman, who played a knock of 140 runs off just 113 deliveries, made up for his failure in Adelaide. Sharma even picked up the Man of the Match award for his decisive innings, where he struck 14 fours and three maximums.
Virat Kohli – 193 runs:
The current Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, had become the first Indian player to touch the three-digit milestone while playing against Pakistan at cricket’s biggest platform by dismantling their bowling lineup at the Adelaide Oval. Kohli was suffering from poor form heading into that contest. Also, he could not make much impact when the two teams faced off in the 2011 World Cup semifinal match. The Delhite bounced in style with a 126-ball 107 in 2015. At Old Trafford, he supported Rohit Sharma to perfection with a half-century.
Sachin Tendulkar – 313 runs:
The God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, holds the record for the most runs against Pakistan in World Cups. He is also the world’s most successful batsman while playing versus this opposition at the grand stage. He has three fifty-plus scores to his name versus the Men in Green. Also, his last World Cup fifty came against this opponent. He had a mind-boggling average of 78.25 versus the arch-rivals, and Tendulkar had narrowly missed out on a hundred at Centurion in 2003.
