&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "How many times could India and Pakistan meet under new World Cup format?")
When it comes to ICC events, an India vs Pakistan match is usually the biggest attraction, as the rivalry draws huge global interest, especially because the two sides have not played a bilateral series since 2012 due to political tensions. With the ICC announcing new formats for the 2027 ODI World Cup and the 2028 T20 World Cup on Wednesday, there is now a possibility that cricket’s biggest rivalry could take place more than once in the same tournament.
ODI World Cup 2027
Under the new format, 12 teams from the 14 participating nations will move into the Super Seven stage. Before that, the teams finishing 12th, 13th and 14th will play a new “Super Series” round, with one team qualifying for the main competition.
The top four teams from the Super Seven stage will then advance to the semi-finals.
If India and Pakistan are placed in the same group in the opening stage, as has often happened in ICC tournaments, both teams would still be expected to reach the Super Seven stage unless there is a major upset.
Since the Super Seven is a round-robin league, they would meet again, meaning the rivals could play each other at least twice during the tournament.
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If both teams also qualify for the semi-finals or even the final, another meeting could be possible depending on the draw and results.
T20 World Cup 2028
The 2028 T20 World Cup will still feature 20 teams, but they will now be divided into five groups of four.
If India and Pakistan are drawn in the same group, they would meet in the opening stage. The top two teams from each group will then qualify for the Super 10 stage.
The 10 qualified teams will be split into two groups of five. The winners of the two groups will go straight to the semi-finals, while the second and third-placed teams will play Eliminator matches. The winners of those matches will complete the semi-final lineup.
This format also leaves room for multiple India-Pakistan clashes, as the Super 10 groups will be decided through ICC rankings-based seeding, the two teams could end up in the same group again and meet for a second time.
If both continue their winning run, they could even face each other again in the semi-finals or the final, making three meetings in a single tournament a real possibility.
