November 16, 2025. Doha. West End Park International Cricket Stadium.
India A posted 136 in 19 overs. Among the scorers: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 45 off 28. The teenager who had become one of Indian cricket’s most talked-about names. Pakistan Shaheens chased it in 13.2 overs. With 40 balls to spare. Maaz Sadaqat walked off unbeaten on 79 off 47.
This is the India A vs Pakistan A cricket team timeline: A rivalry that begins not in 1952, not in a packed Wankhede or Lahore, but in the B-grounds of cricket development, where tomorrow’s legends build today’s case for selection.
What Is “India A” and Why Does This Rivalry Matter?
Snippet-Ready Summary: “India A” refers to India’s second-tier representative cricket team, one step below the full national squad. It is the primary development pathway for players on the edge of national selection. Matches against Pakistan A (also called Pakistan Shaheens in some tournaments) carry significant weight because performance here directly influences national team call-ups.
India A is not a training camp. It is the final examination before the senior team door opens.
Players who perform for India A against quality opposition — especially Pakistan A — go directly onto national selectors’ radars. Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw, Ishan Kishan, and Washington Sundar all had defining India A stints that preceded their international debuts.
What people think vs reality: Most fans treat India A matches as low-stakes warmup games. In reality, every India A vs Pakistan A match is a live audition for players who may be one injury or one strong series away from wearing the senior jersey.
The India A vs Pakistan A Timeline: Documented Matches
Snippet-Ready Summary: India A and Pakistan A have faced each other in at least two major documented “A” team encounters in recent years. Pakistan A won the 2023 ACC Emerging Asia Cup Final in Colombo by 128 runs. Pakistan Shaheens beat India A in the 2025 ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars Group B match in Doha by 8 wickets.
Match 1: ACC Emerging Asia Cup 2023 Final: Colombo, July 23, 2023
This is the most significant India A vs Pakistan A result in recent cricket history.
Match Details:
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Tournament | ACC Emerging Asia Cup 2023 |
| Match | Final |
| Venue | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo |
| Date | July 23, 2023 |
| Format | List A (50 overs) |
| Toss | — |
| India A Score | 224 (40 overs) |
| Pakistan A Score | 352/8 (50 overs) |
| Result | Pakistan A won by 128 runs |
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Pakistan A chased down India A’s 224 with ease. Posting 352 for 8, the highest total in the tie and a dominant batting display that sealed a 128-run Final win.
The key insight: Pakistan A’s 128-run margin in a Final was not just a victory. It was a statement. India A’s batting collapsed in 40 overs. Pakistan A’s top order batted through the full 50 without losing control. This result directly influenced Pakistan’s national team conversations about their batting depth going into the 2023 ODI World Cup cycle.
Match 2: ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025. Doha, November 16, 2025
Match Details:
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Tournament | ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 (T20) |
| Match | 6th Match, Group B |
| Venue | West End Park International Cricket Stadium, Doha |
| Date | November 16, 2025 |
| Format | T20 |
| Toss | Pakistan Shaheens won, elected to field |
| India A Score | 136 all out (19 overs) |
| Pakistan Shaheens Score | 137/2 (13.2 overs) |
| Result | Pakistan Shaheens won by 8 wickets (40 balls remaining) |
India A Batting Highlights:
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi: 45 off 28 (top scorer)
- Naman Dhir: 35 off 20
- Shahid Aziz: 3/24 (3 overs) — India’s middle order dismantled
- Maaz Sadaqat: 2/12 (3 overs)
Pakistan Shaheens Chase:
- Maaz Sadaqat: 79 not out off 47 balls — match-winning knock
- Mohammad Naeem: 14 off 10
- Mohammad Faiq: 16 not out off 14
- Chase completed in 13.2 overs — 40 balls remaining
The turning point: India A were well-placed at 91/2 after 10 overs. Then the middle order collapsed from 91/2 to 136 all out — losing 8 wickets for 45 runs in 9 overs. This is where the match was lost, not the powerplay. Sadaqat’s 3/24 was destructive, but the Indian batters’ failure to consolidate after a strong opening was the real cause of defeat.
The Vaibhav Suryavanshi factor: His 45 off 28 showed the explosive potential that had already seen him sign IPL contracts before his 14th birthday. But 45 from 28 in a total of 136 also told selectors that India A still needed a reliable no. 4 and 5 for high-pressure tournament games.
Why These Results Matter Beyond the Scorecard
India A vs Pakistan A matches are the primary pipeline matches for both national teams. Pakistan A’s two recent wins (2023 Final, 2025 group match) suggest the Pakistani player pipeline currently has a stronger lower-middle order than India A an observation that aligns with senior team selection patterns where Pakistan’s middle order has been their relative strength in bilateral series.
Pakistan A beating India A by 128 runs in a Final and by 8 wickets in a T20 group match in the space of two years is not random. It is a pattern.
Three observations from this India A vs Pakistan A cricket team timeline that no competitor analysis mentions:
1. Pakistan A’s bowling has been more consistent than India A’s batting in crunch moments. In both matches, India A started reasonably (224 in the 2023 Final, 91/2 at the T20 midpoint) and then collapsed. Pakistan’s A-level bowlers Sadaqat, Aziz, Ubaid Shah, Have repeatedly exposed India A’s middle-order brittleness outside subcontinental conditions.
2. India’s strength at A level is their explosive openers, not their finishing. Suryavanshi, Dhir, Salt-equivalent top-order talent. India A consistently fires in the powerplay and early overs. But beyond the top three, the conversion of starts to match-winning totals is the developmental gap India A needs to close.
3. Pakistan A wins in “neutral” venues more consistently. Both India A losses came outside the subcontinent (Colombo, Doha). India A’s batting on pace-friendly surfaces has been their structural weakness a mirror of the senior team’s historical away record in Tests.
The Senior Rivalry That Creates the Stakes
To understand why India A vs Pakistan A matters, you need the senior team context. These A-team players are competing for spots in a national squad that carries one of the most intense bilateral rivalry records in cricket history.
Full India vs Pakistan Head-to-Head: All Formats (Updated 2026)
| Format | Matches | India Wins | Pakistan Wins | Draw / NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 59 | 9 | 12 | 38 |
| ODIs | 136 | 58 | 73 | 5 |
| T20Is | 16 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 211 | 79 | 88 | 44 |
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India vs Pakistan in ICC Tournaments
| Tournament | Matches | India Won | Pakistan Won | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI World Cup | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| T20 World Cup | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Champions Trophy | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Asia Cup (ODI) | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
| Asia Cup (T20) | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
The most striking stat in this rivalry: India have won all 8 ODI World Cup matches against Pakistan a 100% record stretching from 1992 to 2023. In T20 World Cups, India’s record reads 8–1, including their most recent 61-run win in Colombo in 2026.
What people think vs reality: Most fans believe Pakistan dominate India overall. The truth is more nuanced. Pakistan lead in Tests (12–9) and ODIs overall (73–58), but India completely dominate in ICC tournament cricket. wWhich is where the highest-stakes matches are played and where careers are defined.
Most Recent India vs Pakistan Senior Match: T20 World Cup 2026, Colombo
Snippet-Ready Summary: India beat Pakistan by 61 runs in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in Colombo India’s biggest margin of victory over Pakistan in T20Is. India scored 175/7. Pakistan were bowled out for 114. This was India’s 8th win in 9 T20 World Cup matches against Pakistan and their 6th consecutive T20I win over Pakistan.
India’s 175/7 in Colombo was their highest-ever T20I score against Pakistan. Pakistan’s 114 all out was the third-lowest score Pakistan have recorded in T20Is against India.
This result widened a gap that India A players are now being groomed to maintain. Every Suryavanshi innings in Doha, every Sadaqat spell in Colombo, These are the building blocks of the next India vs Pakistan chapter at senior level.
India A vs Pakistan A: Key Stats Summary
| Metric | India A | Pakistan A/Shaheens |
|---|---|---|
| Official A-team matches (2023–2025) | 2 | 2 |
| Wins | 0 | 2 |
| 2023 Emerging Asia Cup Final | 224 (40 ov) | 352/8 (50 ov) — Won by 128 runs |
| 2025 Rising Stars T20 | 136 (19 ov) | 137/2 (13.2 ov) — Won by 8 wkts |
| Top scorer (2025) | Suryavanshi 45 (28) | Sadaqat 79* (47) |
| Best bowling (2025) | — | Aziz 3/24 |
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Three Bold Observations About This Sub-Rivalry
1. Pakistan A’s pipeline is currently producing match-winners more consistently than India A’s. Two A-team meetings. Two Pakistani wins. Both comprehensive. That is not coincidence, That is a development program outperforming on specific metrics. India’s A-team structure produces volume; Pakistan’s appears to produce finish.
2. Vaibhav Suryavanshi is India A’s most important player to watch — but he needs support structure. His 45 in 28 balls in Doha proved his talent is not hype. But batting India A out of trouble from 91/2 to 136 all out with Suryavanshi already out at 45 reveals how thin India A’s middle order currently is when it faces genuine international-level spin and pace.
3. The India A vs Pakistan A timeline is only two years old in its current documented form. As the ACC Rising Stars and Emerging Asia Cup tournaments grow, this sub-rivalry will expand into a proper bilateral series with history. The next five years will establish whether India A can reverse their current 0–2 record at A-level against Pakistan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the India A vs Pakistan A head-to-head record?
Ans. In recent official A-team tournaments, Pakistan A and Pakistan Shaheens hold a 2–0 record over India A — winning the 2023 ACC Emerging Asia Cup Final by 128 runs and the 2025 Asia Cup Rising Stars Group B match by 8 wickets.
Q2: Who won the India A vs Pakistan A match in 2025?
Ans. Pakistan Shaheens beat India A by 8 wickets in the ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 Group B match played in Doha on November 16, 2025. Maaz Sadaqat scored 79 not out off 47 balls in the chase.
Q3: What was the score in India A vs Pakistan A 2025 match?
Ans. India A scored 136 all out in 19 overs. Pakistan Shaheens chased it down in 13.2 overs, finishing at 137/2 with 40 balls remaining.
Q4: Who top-scored for India A against Pakistan Shaheens in 2025?
Ans. Vaibhav Suryavanshi top-scored for India A with 45 runs off 28 balls. Naman Dhir scored 35 off 20. India A collapsed after a strong start to be bowled out for 136.
Q5: Who won the 2023 India A vs Pakistan A Emerging Asia Cup Final?
Ans. Pakistan A beat India A by 128 runs in the 2023 ACC Emerging Asia Cup Final at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on July 23, 2023. Pakistan A scored 352/8; India A were bowled out for 224.
Q6: What is India’s overall record against Pakistan in senior cricket?
Ans. India have 79 wins and Pakistan have 88 wins from 211 matches across all formats. India dominate T20Is (12–3) and ICC tournament cricket, while Pakistan lead in ODIs overall (73–58) and Tests (12–9).