Mumbai: India-Pakistan (India vs Pakistan) on the stage of cricket means a bone-to-bone battle. Perhaps the most exciting duel at 22 yards. At present, apart from ICC events, the two teams do not face each other in such a way. However, the One Day World Cup to be organized next year may see a duel between India and Pakistan, and there is a possibility that the two eternal rivals will face each other not once, but three times. ICC Annual General Meeting held in Edinburgh, Scotland. There, the change in the format brought by the ICC for next year’s mega tournament has created an opportunity for cricket lovers to watch the India-Pakistan match multiple times.

As Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup, only one match was played between the two countries in the group stage. But in the changed format, the two countries could face each other three times in next year’s World Cup. The 2027 ODI World Cup is to be held jointly by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. 14 teams will participate in the tournament.

Notably, the tournament will begin with a preliminary round-robin stage, where the three lowest-ranked qualifying teams (12, 13 and 14) will play against each other. Only the top team will advance to the main stage. The remaining 12 teams will be divided into two groups of six. Each team will play in a round-robin format. The top three teams from each group and the best fourth-placed team overall will advance to the next stage. Next year’s tournament will see seven qualifying teams compete in a grueling single round-robin stage instead of the Super Six. Each team will play all the other teams once and the top four teams will advance to the semi-finals.

How can India and Pakistan meet three times?

If India and Pakistan are drawn in the same group in the initial 12-team group stage, fans will see the first match. If both cricketing powerhouses then advance to the Super Seven stage, then the second match is mathematically assured. Because in the round robin stage every team has to play against each other. If both teams eventually make it past the Super 7 stage and finish in the top four, they could meet for the third time in a high-voltage semi-final or final.