There’s a unique beauty about India vs Pakistan when it comes to any sport. Fans watch their teams battle it out for bragging rights, with a few heated moments sprinkled here and there for that extra spice. In recent times, however, we have seen the rivalry take a new direction, with India dominating the contests, especially when it comes to hockey.
In hockey, the streak has now stretched close to 10 years. That’s how long it has been since Pakistan last beat their arch-rivals on the hockey turf. Now, all eyes will be on the clash at the men’s Hockey World Cup 2026, with both teams fighting for a spot in the second round.
But before the match even begins, there is one thing fans from both corners will be watching closely: will the two teams shake hands?
HOCKEY WORLD CUP: FULL COVERAGE
In cricket, we have seen the Indian team abandon the customary handshake before the start and at the end of the game. Hockey, however, has largely stayed away from all that noise.
Hockey India said in November last year that it would not be taking the cricket route and would instead stick to the Olympic Charter and the guidelines issued by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). Yet, to be extra sure, India Today reached out to HI for a word on the matter and to know if they would stick with the plan.
HI failed to respond to the query, and it is safe to say that we could at least see the players perform a high five before the game gets underway. They did so during the FIH Pro League games recently and across the junior levels as well.
As we spoke to India legend Romeo James, his verdict was simple: play in the true spirit and show all the aggression on the field.
“You show it on the ground. You show your clear instinct on the ground. Yes, you score more goals and you tell them. Just play the game, be friendly outside, shake hands. Shaking hands doesn’t make a difference, you know. On the ground, be 100 percent up for it,” said James.
INDIA VS PAKISTAN: HEAD-TO-HEAD
Now that we have got that one external bit out of the way, let’s focus on the clash between the two arch-rivals. India and Pakistan have faced each other in 185 matches so far, with Pakistan winning 84 of them, India 73 and 28 ending in draws.
When it comes to World Cups, India edge past their rivals 3-2.
INDIA VS PAKISTAN: WHY THE MATCH IS DO OR DIE
The equation is simple here. If India win, they’re through to the next round and eliminate their arch-rivals. If Pakistan win, they eliminate India from reaching the second round and then have to wait and see if England can beat Wales.
A draw, however, complicates things for India, as they will have to hope that Wales lose to England or that the match ends in a draw.
INDIA VS PAKISTAN: IS IT A RIVALRY ANYMORE?
For many, much like cricket, the India vs Pakistan clash doesn’t have the same fire it once did. That’s mainly down to the results in recent times.
While Pakistan were able to fight hard and push India to the limit in the Asian Champions Trophy final and the first match of their recent Pro League encounters, it is India who won 2-1 and 4-3 respectively.
India had also beaten Pakistan 10-2 at the Asian Games in 2023 and then 7-1 recently in the Pro League to head into the match with all the momentum.
Maybe that’s why PR Sreejesh said that the game isn’t like how it used to be at one point in time.
“Since the four-quarter system came in, and even before that, we made big improvements in our fitness, strength, game awareness, and decision-making and because of that, matches against Pakistan are not as tough as they used to be. In the past, India vs Pakistan games were tight, often ending 1-0 or 2-1. Pakistan still have potential, but their current team’s level is not the same as before,” said Sreejesh.
DOES INDIA’S FORMATION AND TACTICS NEED A TWEAK?
In the first two matches so far, Craig Fulton has gone with a 4-3-3 formation, and it was exposed by England. They were able to create chances and carve open the Indian defence.
India’s main outlet remains penalty corners, as the forwards have struggled without the support and runners from the midfield. This was almost a similar issue India faced during the Asia Cup 2025, where they had to dig deep to get a result.
But the moment a 3-1-3-3 system was brought in, a lot of things changed. It was mainly down to captain Harmanpreet Singh playing more of a playmaker/deep-lying midfielder role. He used to dictate terms from the middle and allow the likes of Manpreet Singh and Hardik Singh to venture forward.
Currently, the duo seem to be stuck trying to defend more rather than joining in attack.
Fulton is known as a defensive-minded coach, but against Pakistan, India may need to flex their muscles a bit more in the quest for a win.
“The Indian men’s hockey team has been playing a new formation for the past year and a half. That formation mostly forces us into defense, but in the recent Pro League, we pushed up and pressed hard in many matches. One important thing is that we need to stay compact in defense when playing against European teams.
“Otherwise, we should play our natural game in the World Cup. In defense, we used zonal marking, so we need to improve our understanding in that area. We should not drop too deep. We need to step out, press high, and defend even beyond the center line,” said Sreejesh.
INDIA VS PAKISTAN: THE PRESSURE REMAINS SAME
While the rivalry may not be at its strongest right now, the pressure of India vs Pakistan still remains. Normally, there are contests where you feel records and winning streaks matter.
Here, all of that goes out of the window simply because of the names of the teams involved.
“I believe the India-Pakistan match is a different ball game. It is on the day. It has got nothing to do with the records, what happened last month or last week. It is on the day.”
“It is something other than logic and skill. More of a temperament game,” said Pakistan legend Tauqeer Dar.
Maybe that’s why James feels that the Indian team just needs to play to their strengths, shut out the noise and secure the win.
“No doubt pressure is there, but now with all these experienced guys, they know how to deal, so I’m not too much, worried about it. I think they should be able to put up against Pakistan easily.”
“And because, we play very, safe game, not flamboyant, whereas Pakistan, they play flamboyant hockey. Pakistan are individually, brilliant, you knw, so we play to our strengths. India has an advantage of 70-30,” said James.
So, another chapter is all set to be written in one of sport’s most enduring rivalries. For India, it’s all about securing the win and moving on to the next round. For Pakistan, it will be about proving that they are still on the right track.
The rivalry may have lost some of its old bite, but when India and Pakistan step onto the hockey turf, the stakes remain sky-high.
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