As India gears up to play Pakistan in the 2026 T20 World Cup clash in Colombo later in the evening, the match will mark the first instance of the arch-rivals clashing in a World Cup match without both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in India’s playing XI. The last time neither player featured in the team for a T20 World Cup match against Pakistan was in the 2007 group-stage game in Durban, which India won in a bowl-out after the scores were level at the end of Pakistan’s innings. India vs Pakistan Live Cricket Score, T20 World Cup 2026 Since then either or both of them featured in every match against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup until 2024. Both players retired from the T20I format after helping India win the title by beating South Africa in the final in Barbados. IND vs PAK: India and Pakistan last played a T20 World Cup match in Colombo in 2012, headlined by a Virat Kohli masterclass. (AP Photo) Kohli has a staggering record against Pakistan in the T20 World Cups, amassing 492 runs in 11 matches at an average of 70.28 with a best score of 82 not out that he made in Melbourne in the 2022 edition of the tournament. ALSO READ | Suryakumar Yadav to not shake hands with Pakistan counterpart Salman Agha at T20 World Cup group game toss Sharma, on the other hand, has a more modest record against the arch-rivals, making 127 runs in 12 matches at an average of 14.11 with a best score of 30 not out. The value of that 30 not out, however, is priceless as it came in the 2007 final in Johannesburg, which helped the Men in Blue reach the score of 157 after their 20 overs. The 38-year-old was appointed the brand ambassador for the ongoing T20 World Cup, ahead of the tournament. He was present at the Wankhede Stadium when India began their title defence against the United States of America on February 7.Story continues below this ad Both him and Kohli only play ODI cricket now, having retired from the Test format in May 2025 after a difficult tour of Australia in 2024-25, where the team lost the five-Test series 3-1.
When was the last time India faced Pakistan in a T20 World Cup without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli?
