India vs Pakistan at the World Cup is one of cricket’s most exciting games across formats. Many fans can’t seem to tell the favourite between both sides as they usually field talented players in every department. The favourite to win in this game at the World Cup is still under debate even after India outclassed Pakistan at Asia Cup 2023.
India vs Pakistan in international tournaments has been so tight since the 2019 World Cup. Both teams have not managed successive victories against each other since 2019, making their next encounter all the more exciting.
Who is the Favourite Between India vs Pakistan at the ODI World Cup 2023?
Some factors like home advantage and a strong squad with few injuries could give India a slight edge over Pakistan. However, it would be an unwise decision to write off Pakistan in any ODI event. Pakistan maintains one of the best ODI records in recent tournaments and could be the surprise package against complacent teams.
Indian cricket great Ravi Shastri weighed in on the debate, citing composure as the main factor to determine who wins between both teams
“That’s what’s important, keeping calm and treating it as just another game. And not overhype it in your mind that makes you think differently. Your game has to be the same as it would be in any other game. But because of that subconscious pressure, it’s the mentally tough guys who normally get it right…,”
“When you look at the mix of players on either side, they are fabulous. And it will be a spectacle. In an India-Pakistan game, it is about who handles pressure better, who is calmer, whose thought process is clear. Those are the guys who will come through in those big occasions,”
India Full Round-Robin Stage Schedule at ODI World Cup 2023
India kicks off their ODI World Cup 2023 campaign against an experienced Australia side on October 8, 2023 in Chennai. The team will face Afghanistan on October 11 in Delhi and lock horns with Pakistan in Ahmedabad on October 14.
Other games scheduled for the team will see them face Bangladesh, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the Netherlands from October 19 to November 12.
India will be one of the most traveled squads at this tournament with all their scheduled round-robin games taking place in nine (9) different cricket grounds. See the full schedule and match venues for India below:
| Date | Match | Venue |
| Sun, 08 October, 2023 | India v Australia | Chidambaram, Chennai |
| Wed, 11 October, 2023 | India v Afghanistan | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Sat, 14 October, 2023 | India v Pakistan | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Thu, 19 October, 2023 | India v Bangladesh | Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Gahunje |
| Sun, 22 October, 2023 | India v New Zealand | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala |
| Sun, 29 October, 2023 | India v England | BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| Thu, 02 November, 2023 | India v Sri Lanka | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Sun, 05 November, 2023 | India v South Africa | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Sun, 12 November, 2023 | India v Netherlands | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
Pakistan Full Round-Robin Stage Schedule at ODI World Cup 2023
The Men in Green are on schedule to play nine (9) round-robin format games at ODI World Cup 2023.
The first couple of matches is on schedule to happen in Hyderabad (v Netherlands and Australia on October 6 and 10 respectively) before touring Ahmedabad (v India), Bengaluru (v Australia and New Zealand), Chennai (v Afghanistan and South Africa), and Kolkata (v Bangladesh and England). See the full team schedule for group stage matches below:
| Date | Match | Venue |
| Fri, 06 October, 2023 | Pakistan v Netherlands | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad |
| Tue, 10 October, 2023 | Pakistan v Sri Lanka | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad |
| Sat, 14 October, 2023 | India v Pakistan | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Fri, 20 October, 2023 | Australia v Pakistan | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Mon, 23 October, 2023 | Pakistan v Afghanistan | Chidambaram, Chennai |
| Fri, 27 October, 2023 | Pakistan v South Africa | Chidambaram, Chennai |
| Tue, 31 October, 2023 | Pakistan v Bangladesh | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Sat, 04 November, 2023 | New Zealand v Pakistan | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Sat, 11 November, 2023 | England v Pakistan | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
India Full ODI World Cup 2023 Squad
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav
Pakistan Full ODI World Cup 2023 Squad
Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Hasan Ali
