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Legendary Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq has thrown down a bold challenge to Team India, urging them to play a 10-match series across all formats against Pakistan. His comments come in the wake of Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, where they failed to win a single match and were eliminated in the group stage.
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India’s Dominance Over Pakistan in ICC Events
India continued their dominance over Pakistan in ICC tournaments with a six-wicket victory in Dubai. The one-sided contest once again raised questions about whether the historic India-Pakistan rivalry is still as competitive as it once was.
Following Pakistan’s elimination, Saqlain Mushtaq addressed the issue, challenging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to schedule a multi-format series to determine the superior team.
Saqlain Mushtaq’s Challenge to India
“If we keep political things aside, their players are outstanding, and they have been playing good cricket. If you are a good team, let’s play 10 Tests, 10 ODIs, and 10 T20Is against Pakistan—then everything would become clear.
If we get our preparation right and sort out things in the right direction, then we will be in a situation where we can give solid answers to the world and India as well,” Mushtaq said while speaking on 24 News HD channel.
Pakistan’s Disastrous Champions Trophy Campaign
Pakistan’s group-stage exit from their home Champions Trophy was a massive shock. Their performance in the tournament was far from convincing:
- Lost to New Zealand by 60 runs in the opening game
- Suffered a six-wicket defeat against India
- Final group match against Bangladesh was washed out
With just one point from three games, Pakistan finished at the bottom of Group A.
This was also Pakistan’s third consecutive early exit from an ICC white-ball tournament, following:
- Group-stage exit in the 2023 ODI World Cup
- Early elimination in the 2024 T20 World Cup
One of Pakistan’s biggest struggles was their batting approach, with a shocking number of dot balls faced:
- 161 dot balls vs New Zealand
- 147 dot balls vs India
Sunil Gavaskar on an India-Pakistan Bilateral Series
Earlier, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar also shared his views on an India-Pakistan bilateral series, emphasizing that:
“The only way a series can happen is when there is peace at the borders.”
While Saqlain Mushtaq’s challenge adds spice to the Indo-Pak rivalry, political and logistical challenges continue to prevent any bilateral series between the two nations.
For now, India remains unbeaten against Pakistan in ICC events since 2017, further cementing their dominance in world cricket.
