T20 World Cup 2026: India-Pakistan match logs record-breaking viewership
What's the story
The much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash in the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 set new records for digital reach and consumption. Reliance's JioStar, the official digital and broadcast partner of the tournament, reported a whopping 163 million viewers for the match. The figure is not only a record for any ICC event in the T20 format but also beats viewership numbers from previous editions.
Record-breaking reach
Digital reach saw a massive spike
According to the official data, the India-Pakistan match witnessed a 56% increase in digital reach over the previous encounter at the 2024 T20 World Cup. On mobile, it became the most-watched game in league stage history for any ICC T20 event, garnering 1.2x more viewers than their last showdown in 2024.
Viewer engagement
Impressive numbers on connected TV as well
The match also drew a massive audience on connected TV, with a reach 2.4x greater than their previous encounter in 2024. Across all platforms, the game racked up an astonishing 20 billion minutes of watch time. This is a 42% increase over the last edition's corresponding fixture. The match also set records on linear television, posting a 71% increase in TVR. This makes it the highest-rated India-Pakistan T20I match since 2021.
Match
How the match panned out
Extending their dominance in the high-profile rivalry, India beat Pakistan at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. Pakistan, electing to field first, challenged India with 18 overs of spin. However, Ishan Kishan's blitz powered India to 175/7. India then broke Pakistan's top order through Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. Pakistan succumbed to spin thereafter, perishing for 114. The match finally took place after being embroiled in a controversy. Pakistan boycotted the game before agreeing to play.