The last time India and Pakistan met in the final of a multi-nation tournament was at the ICC Champions Trophy final on June 18, 2017, at The Oval in London. Pakistan won the match by 180 runs, securing their first Champions Trophy title.
Pakistan's road to the final saw them enter the tournament as underdogs, being the lowest-ranked team. In contrast, India, the defending champions, were considered favorites. In the group stage, India convincingly defeated Pakistan by 124 runs. However, Pakistan bounced back, and both teams eventually progressed to the final.
In the final, India won the toss and elected to field. Pakistan's opening batsman Fakhar Zaman scored a century, his first in an ODI, setting a strong foundation for Pakistan's innings. Pakistan posted a total of 338/4.
In response, the Indian batting lineup struggled against Pakistan's bowling attack. Mohammad Amir's fiery spell dismantled India's top order. Hardik Pandya scored a spirited 76, but it wasn't enough to save India from a heavy defeat. India were eventually bowled out for 158. Pakistan won the match by 180 runs, which remains the largest margin of victory in any ICC ODI tournament final in terms of runs.
Fakhar Zaman was named the Man of the Match for his brilliant century. Shikhar Dhawan of India received the Golden Bat award for scoring the most runs in the tournament (338), while Hasan Ali of Pakistan received the Golden Ball award for taking the most wickets (13) and was also named Man of the Series.
The match was watched by an estimated 400 million viewers, making it the third most-watched game in cricket history. This victory marked Pakistan's first ICC ODI tournament title since the 1992 World Cup and their first ICC title in any format since the 2009 World Twenty20.
In the overall head-to-head record in tournament finals, Pakistan holds a 3-2 advantage. Of the five tournament finals featuring India and Pakistan, India won the 1985 World Championship of Cricket and the 2007 T20 World Cup. Pakistan won the 1986 and 1994 Austral-Asia Cup finals, along with the 2017 Champions Trophy final.
The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry is one of the most intense sports rivalries in the world. Matches between the two teams are among the most-watched sporting events globally.
