Pakistan vs Afghanistan Cricket Timeline: Every Match, Every Turning Point (2012–2025)

Pakistan vs Afghanistan first played international cricket on February 10, 2012, with Pakistan winning by 7 wickets in Sharjah. The rivalry remained one-sided until March 2023, when Afghanistan secured their first-ever win and took a bilateral T20I series 2–0. Afghanistan then beat Pakistan at the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup in Chennai, their first ODI win in the rivalry. As of September 2025, Pakistan lead 13–5 overall, but Afghanistan have won 4 of the last 7 T20Is between the two sides.

Pakistan vs Afghanistan: Quick Answer

Full Timeline at a Glance (2012–2025)

Overall Head-to-Head Record

(Source: ESPNcricinfo official head-to-head records)

Phase 1: Pakistan’s Early Dominance (2012–2021)

Pakistan won every contest in this phase. The skill gap was genuine and the margins reflected it.

February 10, 2012 — Sharjah, ODI (Bilateral)

Pakistan won by 7 wickets, completing the chase with 13 overs to spare. Afghanistan were still an Associate nation at the time — this was their first official ODI against a Test-playing nation. The occasion was historic even if the result was not in doubt.

September 21, 2018 — Abu Dhabi, Asia Cup ODI

Pakistan won by 3 wickets in a tight chase. Afghanistan’s spin trio — Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman — restricted Pakistan and made them work hard throughout. It was the first signal that this rivalry was not going to stay one-sided.

October 29, 2021 — Dubai, ICC T20 World Cup

Pakistan won by 5 wickets. Afghanistan had already beaten India in the same tournament. They entered this match with confidence but could not cross the line.

What people think: Pakistan were too good in this era.
Reality: Afghanistan’s bowling was already world-class by 2021 (ICC data). Their batting was the only gap — and that was the next thing to close.

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Phase 2: The 1-Wicket Warning (September 2022)

September 7, 2022 — Asia Cup T20I, Sharjah

Pakistan won by 1 wicket off the last two balls. Naseem Shah hit back-to-back sixes to win the match with no deliveries remaining.

This moment is almost always framed as a Pakistan triumph. It was not. Afghanistan had Pakistan at:

• 7 wickets down
• Needing runs off the final over
• On the brink of their first-ever win against Pakistan

Naseem Shah’s heroics saved Pakistan. What the result masked was a structural shift — Afghanistan were no longer playing catch-up. They were winning phases of matches. The margin of 1 wicket is the thinnest possible victory in cricket.

Phase 3: Afghanistan Arrive (March 2023)

This is the most important chapter in the entire timeline.

March 24, 2023 — 1st T20I, Sharjah

Afghanistan won by 6 wickets. First-ever international win against Pakistan.

March 26, 2023 — 2nd T20I, Sharjah

Afghanistan won by 7 wickets — series sealed 2–0. First bilateral series win by Afghanistan against any top-6 ranked team in the world.

March 27, 2023 — 3rd T20I, Sharjah

Pakistan won by 66 runs. A consolation result that changed nothing about the narrative.

Why did 2023 change everything? Three structural reasons:

• Afghanistan’s batters had completed multiple IPL, BBL, and CPL cycles by this point — high-pressure T20 experience at club level
• Fazalhaq Farooqi had become one of T20 cricket’s most clinical new-ball operators in UAE conditions
• Rashid Khan had mastered Sharjah pitches better than most Pakistan players had (ICC rankings data)

This was not an upset. Pakistan walked in relying on reputation. Afghanistan came with preparation.

Phase 4: The World Cup Knockout (October 2023)

October 23, 2023 — ICC ODI World Cup, Chennai

Pakistan posted 282/7. Babar Azam scored 74, Abdullah Shafique 58. A competitive total by any measure.

Afghanistan’s response:

• Rahmanullah Gurbaz: 65
• Ibrahim Zadran: 87
• Rahmat Shah: 77

Chase completed with 8 wickets in hand and 6 balls to spare. Afghanistan’s first-ever ODI win against Pakistan — at a World Cup, in Chennai.

The common mistake in analyst coverage: calling this a shock result. It was not. Afghanistan had won 3 of their previous 4 T20Is against Pakistan before this ODI. The T20I form was a direct predictor. The World Cup stage just made it impossible to dismiss.

The real consequence: this defeat effectively ended Pakistan’s semifinal campaign. A side that once learned cricket in Pakistani refugee camps had just knocked them out of a global tournament.

Phase 5: Pakistan Reassert — But Afghanistan Hold Their Ground (2025)

UAE T20I Tri-Series, August–September 2025:

• August 29: Pakistan won by 39 runs
• September 2: Afghanistan won by 18 runs
• September 7 (Final): Pakistan won by 75 runs

Pakistan won the series 2–1. But Afghanistan’s win in the middle match — in the same venue, against the same opposition — proves the gap between these two sides on any given day is minimal.

November 2025 — Tri-Series Withdrawal

Afghanistan withdrew from a planned tri-series hosted by Pakistan after three Afghan cricketers were killed in a cross-border attack in the Urgun district. Zimbabwe replaced Afghanistan in the tournament. ICC and BCCI both expressed solidarity with Afghanistan (ESPNcricinfo report).

The cricketing consequence: bilateral cricket between these nations depends on a stable relationship. When that relationship holds, matches happen. When it fractures, tournaments collapse. This is a risk that does not apply to most other bilateral rivalries.

What the Numbers Actually Tell You

Pakistan’s 13–5 overall lead looks dominant. The trend data tells a different story.

• The 7–1 ODI lead is inflated by early-era Associate vs. Test nation mismatches.
• The T20I split is 6–4 — Afghanistan have won 4 of their last 7 T20Is against Pakistan
• Afghanistan’s only ODI win came at a World Cup, the highest-pressure format possible
• Pakistan’s narrowest win — 1 wicket in 2022 — came after Afghanistan had them on the ropes
• Afghanistan are now ranked 7th in ICC ODI rankings as of March 2026, up from outside the top 10 five years ago
• Rashid Khan became the No. 1 ranked ODI bowler in October 2025 (ICC data)

The relevant metric is not cumulative wins. It is the direction of momentum. Every result from 2023 onward points the same way.

Frequently Asked Questions