Some of the most exciting encounters in sport have been between nations or athletes with storied rivalries that add an extra layer of anticipation and drama.
In cricket, these rivalries range from bitter relationships stemming from decades-long conflicts to colonial history and some newly formed bitterness.
The ICC T20 World Cup will highlight some of these major rivalries, such as in the group stage of the tournament and perhaps the Super Eights.
Here's a look at some of the most exciting matchups in the game's history:
India vs Pakistan
The clash that has been the biggest, best-selling and most anticipated match of all multilateral cricket tournaments.
The rivalry originated in 1947, when India was divided into two countries following British colonial rule. Since then, Pakistan and India have fought three wars and diplomatic relations between the two countries remain mostly bitter.
On the cricket field, the head-to-head record favors Pakistan in Test matches (12-9) and One-Day Internationals (73-56), while India has the advantage in T20 matches (8-3).
When it comes to World Cup history, the scales are heavily tipped in India's favour. Pakistan have never beaten India in the ICC ODI World Cup in their eight matches and have won only once in their seven T20 World Cup matches.
Their last clash, in the Cricket World Cup on October 14, again went in India's favor as they recorded a seven-wicket victory at the largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.
The South Asian rivals will meet at New York's newly built Nassau County Stadium on Saturday, June 9 in front of a sold-out crowd of at least 34,000.
Australia vs England
The oldest rivalry in the game, dating back to the 19th century, originated when a British newspaper wrote a condescending and racist article about the Australian cricket team.
It was set in stone when, in 1882, the British tabloid The Sporting Times published a mock obituary of English cricket following its Test team's defeat to its transcontinental rivals, saying “the body [of English cricket] “They will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.”
The bitterness originated in Test cricket and comes to the fore during the Ashes Test series, but has spread to all sporting fixtures between the two countries.
In the history of the Cricket World Cup, both teams have faced each other nine times. Australia has won six of those matches and England three.
England's first T20 World Cup title also came at the expense of Australia, when they won the 2010 final in the West Indies. The second was won in Australia, when they beat Pakistan to lift the title.
The T20 Cup 2024 edition of Australia vs England is scheduled for June 8 in Barbados.
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
It began with a dance, specifically the “nagin dance”, in 2018.
Bangladesh bowler Nazmul Islam had been dancing the nagin (cobra in Hindi) dance to celebrate his wickets for some time, so when his team beat Sri Lanka in the T20 series in January 2018, he returned to do it in its four fields.
Sri Lanka's Danushka Gunathilaka did not like the meandering celebration and did his own version to mock Islam when he dismissed two of the Bangladesh batsmen.
A few months later, the celebration gained momentum during the Nidahas triangular trophy, which also included India. When Bangladesh achieved their second victory against hosts Sri Lanka, their entire team broke out into a rousing “nagin dance” celebration on the field.
2018 – Nagin celebration by Bangladesh after eliminating Sri Lanka from the Nidahas Trophy.
2022 – Nagin celebration by Chamika Karunaratne after eliminating Bangladesh from the Asia Cup. pic.twitter.com/Po7yhyeAb5
-Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 1, 2022
The night ended with broken glass in the visiting team's locker room and nothing has changed since then.
Every time both teams meet, there is no shortage of provocative banners in the stands and venomous celebrations on the field.
In ODI cricket, Sri Lanka won 42 of their 53 ODI matches between the two countries, while Bangladesh won nine. They also have an advantage in the ODI World Cup, with four wins in five matches.
Sri Lanka have beaten Bangladesh twice in their T20 World Cup encounters, but the Bengal Tigers tamed the Lanka Lions with a two-wicket victory in a thrilling match in the 2024 edition in Dallas.
Afghanistan vs Pakistan
Afghanistan and Pakistan have been involved in a complicated geopolitical and cultural relationship for several decades and share a porous border that is often subject to violence and abrupt closures.
Political tensions have translated into fierce rivalry on the field, especially in recent years when Afghanistan has quickly earned a reputation as a world champion.
Several members of the first Afghan cricket team, including former captains Gulbadin Naib and Mohammed Nabi, took up the sport while living in Pakistan as refugees during decades of war and turmoil in their home country.
The Pakistan National Cricket Academy in Lahore hosted the players for the training sessions. Some of the early coaches of the Afghan team also came from Pakistan.
However, the historical tension between the countries has often come to the fore when the teams have faced each other in recent years. Although Pakistan has a 7-1 lead over its neighbors in ODI cricket and a 4-2 lead in T20 internationals, some recent matches have seen last-ball finishes that have gone Pakistan's way.
Fast bowler Naseem Shah has been a constant thorn in the Afghan side by taking Pakistan home twice when defeat looked certain.
This mix of history and last-ball shots has ended up lighting a fire in both fans. Things got particularly ugly when Afghan fans vandalized the stadium and threw chairs at their Pakistani counterparts after losing a thrilling match at Asia Cup 2022. This came after tempers flared on the field when Pakistan batsman Asif Ali angrily swung his bat at Afghan bowler Fareed Ahmad.
The Afghans beat Pakistan in the ODI World Cup in India in November, sparking wild celebrations on the field and in Afghanistan.
Both sides could meet in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup, if they manage to qualify.
Australia vs India
While these two of the sport's “big three” have been playing each other since the 1940s, the contest gained steam in the 1980s and became a full-blown rivalry in the 2000s.
Most of the heated exchanges and exciting encounters have taken place in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy of Test cricket, especially since the famous Eden Gardens Test match in 2001, in which India came back from a follow-on to win the match by two windows.
A heated exchange between Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh and Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds led to the famous “monkeygate” scandal, in which Singh was banned and then released during the series.
In the Cricket World Cup, both teams have faced each other in the knockout stages of the tournament in recent years.
In 2011, India beat Australia by five wickets in a hard-fought quarter-final to win the World Cup on home soil.
Australia returned the favor four years later when they cruised to a 95-run victory in Sydney and went on to lift their fifth World Cup title. Both teams opened their 2023 campaign against each other in a thrilling tie on Sunday in Chennai, which India won. by six wickets after a difficult start to their run chase.
The overall ODI record of 150 matches still favors Australia, with 83 wins compared to India's 50. The five-time champions also won eight of their 13 Cricket World Cup matches with India winning five.
In T20Is, India won 19 of their 31 matches and Australia won 11.
The two sides could meet in the Super Eight of the 2024 T20 World Cup, if they qualify.
