Al Jazeera’s guide to the blockbuster cricket match between arch rivals in the T20 World Cup, which begins in New York on Sunday, 9 June.
Cricket’s biggest rivals, India and Pakistan, will meet for the first time in the United States in a much-anticipated match of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
India head into the Group A match fresh from a comfortable win over Ireland but Pakistan are under pressure after a shock defeat to co-hosts USA in their opening match.
Security on Long Island has been stepped up to levels unprecedented for a sporting event, multiple screening events are planned around the world, and tickets are selling like hotcakes.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming cricket match:
When is the India vs Pakistan match?
The match will be played on Sunday, 9 June, kicking off at 10.30am local time (14.30pm GMT), while for viewers in India and Pakistan it will be 8pm and 7.30pm respectively.
Where is India vs Pakistan?
The match will take place at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island, New York, which has a capacity of 34,000.
What about the New York pitch?
The temporary Nassau County International Cricket Stadium has hosted three matches so far. The first two were low-scoring matches that favoured seam bowlers due to the nature of the drop-in pitch. Batsmen found it difficult to hit big shots due to the movement and bounce.
Following criticism from fans and former players, the International Cricket Council said the pitch was not up to standard and that groundstaff were working to improve it for the remainder of the tournament.
In the third match, between Ireland and Canada, both teams scored over 100 points but the pitch remained difficult.
The India vs Pakistan match is expected to be played on the new court.
Are there any security concerns between India and Pakistan?
New York Governor Kathy Hochle said last week that security in New York would be “stepped up” ahead of the tournament, particularly the high-profile match between India and Pakistan.
Nassau County Police Chief Patrick Ryder said the team isn’t taking the game lightly, describing it as like “a Super Bowl on steroids” in terms of fan interest.
Ryder told the Indian newspaper Deccan Herald that security for the match “could potentially be more expensive than the security we provide for the president.”
Where can I get tickets for India vs Pakistan?
While general tickets for the match have sold out, limited premium tickets, ranging from $1,500 to $10,000, are still available on the ICC’s official platforms.
Ticket resale websites are also selling tickets to the “hottest event,” with prices starting at $980 and going all the way up to a whopping $17,475.
How is New York preparing for the game?
The ICC has arranged official fan parks for fans who cannot travel to the host city.
In New York, the India vs Pakistan match will be streamed live for fans at the Oculus World Trade Center and Cedar Creek Park, while fan parks will also be set up at Epic Central in Texas and Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center, with most of these venues also sold out.
Besides the United States, the ICC has also set up fan parks in New Delhi, India; Rawalpindi, Pakistan; the United Kingdom and South Africa.
India vs Pakistan match viewing party at Citi Field @T20 World Cup Tickets for the game on Long Island are sold out.
The match sold out both stadiums in New York. pic.twitter.com/dzTtv5XYtY
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) May 30, 2024
What’s the weather like in New York?
Rain is forecast for the morning and there is a possibility the match may be postponed.
What would happen if a T20 World Cup match was interrupted by rain?
In the event of inclement weather or other interruptions, 90 minutes of extra time will be allocated to all morning and afternoon matches and 60 minutes to all evening matches.
If the match time is shortened, each team must complete five overs before a result can be announced.
There are no reserve days for group stage matches.
What happens if the India vs Pakistan match ends in a draw?
Any tied matches will go to a Super Over, if there is still a tie the Super Over will continue until a winner is decided.
The Indian team trained in New York on Friday, ahead of the match with plenty of smiles on their faces. #T20WorldCup Surprise visit from rival team’s players to Pakistan match 👀 pic.twitter.com/P1waTuAgqp
— ICC (@ICC) June 8, 2024
How to watch and follow the India vs Pakistan match?
Al Jazeera will broadcast live coverage and photos of the match from 9am GMT.
The match will be broadcast live and streamed through various rights holders – Disney Star will broadcast in India, while PTV and Ten Sports hold the broadcast rights in Pakistan.
Who do you think will win?
India are favourites to win this match due to their dominant performance in head-to-head matches.
Of the seven times the two teams have met in the T20 World Cup, India has won six times, including bowl-outs, while Pakistan has won only once.
- 2007 (Group Stage) – JohannesburgThe match was tied at the end of both innings but India won against Pakistan in a bowl-out.
- 2007 (final) – JohannesburgIndia defeated Pakistan by five runs in the final to win their first ever T20 World Cup, with inexperienced Joginder Sharma bowling a brilliant final over and Irfan Pathan and RP Singh also playing key roles, taking three wickets each.
- 2012 – ColomboIndia comfortably beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the group stage. The bowlers restricted Pakistan to just 128 runs with Lakshmipati Balaji taking three wickets. Virat Kohli, then 22 years old, scored an unbeaten 78 runs.
- 2014 – MirpurIndia’s spinners restricted Pakistan to 130-7 to register a comfortable seven-wicket win in the group stage. Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina’s unbeaten 66-run partnership propelled India to victory.
- 2016 – KolkataIn a rain-affected match, Indian bowlers restricted Pakistan to 118 for five before Kohli scored a non-scoring 55 as India won their group match by six wickets.
- 2021 – DubaiPakistan won their group match by 10 wickets to defeat India for the first time in the tournament, with Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali taking five wickets apiece to restrict India to 151-7 before Mohammed Rizwan (79 not out) and Babar Azam (68 not out) completed the historic result.
- 2022 – MelbourneIndia defeated Pakistan by four wickets in their group match in front of a crowd of over 90,000, with Kohli smashing a not-so-scored 82 in a thrilling finish.
