The ICC often places India and Pakistan together in major tournaments. Their rivalry delivers record-breaking audiences and massive broadcast revenue, making it a commercial necessity over random draws.
New Delhi: In the world of sports, a ‘random draw’ is considered to be a great equalizer. But in international cricket, there is a pairing that seems more like mathematical certainty than coincidence. Whether it’s the ODI World Cup, the T20 World Cup, or the Champions Trophy, fans can almost always count on one thing: India and Pakistan will always be in the same group.
While purists defend the sanctity of a blind draw, the India-Pakistan rivalry drives global cricket. Rooted in the 1947 partition, it is now sustained by a relentless commercial strategy.
ICC’s tactical grouping
The ICC has shown no hesitation regarding its intentions. In 2016, then CEO Dave Richardson candidly admitted that the organization deliberately designs the schedule so that these two giants face each other. Since 2012, it has not just been a trend; it has been a policy.
By placing them in the same group, the ICC avoids the ‘financial disaster’ in which a team exits early, ending before a big contest takes place. In the 2026 T20 World Cup—hosted by India and Sri Lanka—this pattern remains firmly in place: both teams are already locked in Group A.
$3 Billion on the line
Why does the ICC “fix” the groups? To put it simply- money. The Indian subcontinent is the primary driver of cricket’s economy, accounting for roughly 80% of global ICC revenue.
Broadcast demands: Networks such as JioHotStar, which was previously known as Disney Star spend a lot of money on media rights. They want to make sure that India plays against Pakistan because one game between these two teams can bring in money and have more people watching than the final game of the tournament between any other two teams. India and Pakistan playing each other is very important for these networks, like JioHotStar.
The viewership giant: The 2011 World Cup semi-final was really big. It had half a billion people watching. Then in 2019 one game between these two teams had an audience. This one game had 35 percent of the people who watched the World Cup.
The World Cup is a deal and these two teams are a big part of it. The 2019 match, between these rivals was very popular. It showed how many people like to watch the World Cup especially when these two teams play.
Cricket Tourism: These matches aren’t just TV events; they are economic windfalls for host cities. From Adelaide to Dubai, stadiums sell out in minutes, filling hotels and boosting local economies in ways no other fixture can.
Balancing fairness with “tournament interest”
The International Cricket Council officially uses rankings and seeding to decide which teams play each other. They can still make some changes to make the tournament more interesting. People who do not like this system say it is like fixing the groups and that it’s not fair to the teams because it affects the balance of the sport.
The International Cricket Council does this to make the tournament more fun for people to watch. Critics say the International Cricket Council is doing something that is not good, for the sport.
However, the counter-argument is practical. The massive revenue generated by these high-stakes matches is redistributed to smaller cricketing nations, funding development and keeping the sport alive globally. Pakistan, for instance, receives approximately $34–35 million annually from the ICC’s revenue-sharing model—a cycle fueled largely by the very rivalry they participate in.
There are no cricket matches between these two countries because of problems between them since 2012. So now the only time India and Pakistan play each other is, in ICC events. This is why people really want to see India and Pakistan play against each other. India and Pakistan playing each other is a big deal.
While the debate over “fair draws” vs. “financial stability” will continue, the ICC’s path is clear. As long as the world stops to watch when India faces Pakistan, the “random” draw will likely continue to have a very predictable outcome. In the business of cricket, the India-Pakistan clash is the one “kick” the tournament simply cannot afford to miss.
