The India vs Pakistan clash on February 15 in Colombo in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 scaled new heights on reach and consumption, announced JioStar, the official digital and broadcast partner of the tournament on Friday. Any India vs Pakistan cricket match is called as ‘Mother of all Rivalries’, and it was no different this time, setting new records and milestones.
In a statement released by the JioStar, the India vs Pakistan clash recorded an unprecedented digital reach of 163 million, making it the highest match reach for any ICC event in the T20 format. It surpassed the viewership for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final between India and South Africa.
India’s 61-run win over Pakistan also ensured a 56% growth in reach over the India vs Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 on digital, which was played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. On mobile, the game clocked the highest match reached in the league stage of any ICC T20 event and 1.2 times more than the last India-Pakistan clash in 2024.
The India-Pakistan contest demonstrated its unmatched appeal as fans converged on JioHotstar. On CTV, the match reach was 2.4 times higher than the India-Pakistan contest of the 2024 edition. The match generated a staggering 20 billion minutes of total watch time across all screens, underscoring the massive depth of fan engagement.
This led to a 42% increase in consumption compared to the previous edition’s fixture, driven by the Indian national cricket team’s dominant performance as they extended their head-to-head record over Pakistan at the T20 World Cup to 8–1.
On linear TV, the highly-anticipated match delivered equally stellar performance, clocking a TVR growth of 71% to become the highest-rated India vs Pakistan T20I contest since 2021. The record-breaking engagement on linear TV highlighted the sustained power of traditional broadcast in delivering a massive, collective viewing experience.
With associate nations competing hard and putting up a show in this edition, the cumulative reach of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the end of the group stage is set to better that of the entire last edition on digital already.
“The build-up to the India vs Pakistan game at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and the match itself had all the ingredients of a spectacle. The record-breaking reach and consumption reflect the scale at which fans all over engage with this tournament across platforms,” said Anup Govindan, Head – Sales, Sports, JioStar.
“This tournament has already delivered thrilling moments for fans worldwide, and the response to the India-Pakistan clash sets the tone for an exciting ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with the best yet to come.”
What next for India, Pakistan in Super 8?
With both India and Pakistan’s spots finalized in the Super 8 stage, an India vs Pakistan is possible in the knockouts. In the Super 8 stage, India have been put in group 1 with South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe. On the other hand, Pakistan will play against New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England in Group 2. The top two teams from each group will enter the semifinals.
It must be noted that if Pakistan manages to reach the knockouts, then their matches will be played in Sri Lanka. If not, then the semifinals and the final will be played on Indian soil.
