The Biggest Rivalries in International Cricket
By
Richard Janvrin
Freelance Writer Updated: 16 February 2024
Richard Janvrin Freelance Writer
Richard has been writing about sports since he was a teenager. Still, his first professional role came in 2015, covering all things NFL and fantasy football-related. From there, in December 2018, he started in the sports betting industry, covering sportsbook reviews before arriving to where he is today.
The Biggest Rivalries in International Cricket
Here in the United States, Cricket is almost non-existent, but in the rest of the world, there’s a plethora of rivalries in the sport that’s been around since the 16th century. Cricket is also an available betting market in the United States, so understanding these rivalries could make wagering on these matches much more exciting. If you want to bet on cricket, having these insights is important.
Like soccer globally, Cricket is one of the most-viewed sports. We have numerous high-profile rivalries in the top US sports, with Cricket being no different. Below, we’ll profile the five most notable rivalries in this international sport.
Pakistan vs India
In addition to political and territorial disputes, this has bled over to the game of Cricket. This matchup, perhaps the world’s biggest rivalry in Cricket, draws hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide. In head-to-head competition, India and Cricket have played 206 matches across Test, ODI, and T20I. Here’s the record for each of these:
- Test: Pakistan 12, India 9
- ODI: Pakistan 73, India 57
- T20I: India 8, Pakistan 3
These games date back to 1952. This happened when Pakistan toured India. The two didn’t play between 1962-1977 due to major wars. The 1999 Kargil War and 2008 Mumbai attacks also halted play. Ahead of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, there were over 800,000 applications for tickets to view the match.
While there are geopolitical issues between the two countries, it’s as if those are pushed to the side, at least for the duration of the Cricket matches. Whether you want to call it the greatest rivalry in cricket or the biggest rivalry in Cricket, it doesn’t matter—this takes the top spot.
England vs Australia
When it comes to this rivalry between England and Australia, we can go back to the 1800s. Of course, historically speaking, Australia is a country that includes convicts sent over by the British government during that time and before.
Known as “The Ashes” from their 1882 matchup, Australia defeated England. Overall, Australia is viewed more favorably than England in the matchup, though England has gotten some quality wins lately, including their 2005 victory, breaking an 18-year gap from their last win. Expect some aggressive play and massive coverage whenever these two countries square off as one of the best rivalries in Cricket.
Australia vs South Africa
A more recent rivalry, Australia and South Africa’s opposition, began in the late 2000s. In 2008, South Africa upset the Australia team in Australia. They were the first team to beat them there in 16 years.
Then, in 2011, Australia faced them in the Test series in South Africa. Australia chased down more than 300 to win the second Test. The Test series for 2022-23 ended with Australia winning 2-0.
India vs Australia
With how coveted India is globally, it is no surprise they have many rivals. Well, Australia is on that list. This rivalry is on the list following the 2001 India comeback. They also played each other in the World Cup in 2003.
India has won all of their last four Test series matchups for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The last time Australia won was 2014-15.
West Indies vs England
The West Indies aren’t exactly a potent force in the Cricket world today, but their rivalry with England stretches back to 1976. The start of it can be pinpointed to England’s Tony Greig saying he’d make the West Indies “grovel” ahead of their series. Many of the West Indies considered this a racial slur.
West Indies went on to beat England 3-0. Following the final game, Greig fake crawled on his hands on his knees. In their last five Test series matchups, they’re 2-2-1, with West Indies winning in 2021-22, 1-0.
South Africa vs. Australia
Whenever South Africa and Australia square off, you can expect to be captivated. These two have competed many times over the years and always put on an entertaining show. Of their matches, the one that stands out most was during the 1999 World Cup semi-finals. Here, South Africa was down nine runs. There was a situation involving Lance Lusener and Allan Donald, though, that made it so the match ended in a tie. Because of this, Australia advanced to the final because of their tournament standings.
Another one happened just seven years later at the 2006 Johannesburg ODI. Here, Australia scored 434 for 4. Ricky Ponting scored 164. But South Africa wasn’t done, thanks to Herschelle Gibbs and Mark Boucher. Gibbs scored a century, and Boucher hit the winning runs. This is probably one of the greatest matches in cricket history. The drama was next-level. Both teams have some of the greatest players we’ve ever seen, and while there’s a lot of contention here, there’s respect from both sides. We can only hope this rivalry maintains its edge for years to come.
New Zealand vs. Australia
Due to geographic location, New Zealand and Australia, of course, see plenty of one another when competing. Both teams are aggressive, and that comes out when they play. Because of that geographic proximity, you can’t help but think this fuels their edge, whether it’s a Test match or something more major.
One of the better moments from this rivalry was the 2015 Cricket World Cup. They played two matches, including the finals. There have been many other matches over the years, but the fan bases seem to get especially passionate when these teams take each other on.
West Indies vs Australia
We discussed their rivalry with England already, but West Indies has another rivalry with Australia. This goes way back to the 1930s. Their first-ever test match happened in 1930. Still, it took about 40 years for the rivalry to really kick off. To understand this rivalry, you have to know the context of cricket at that time. In the 1970s, the West Indies were unstoppable, but Australia gave them a tough battle.
We saw battles of Clive Lloyd and Allan Border for years. In 1975, West Indies took down Australia in the first-ever Cricket World Cup. Fast-forward to the 1990s and West Indies began to lose that strength while Australia ascended. Still, the modern teams don’t forget the battles of the 1970s and 1980s.
Sri Lanka vs. India
The history between these countries runs deep. Looking back at 2011, we had the ICC World Cup. There, India defeated Sri Lanka. With this win, massive celebrations broke out across the massive country. Sri Lanka took the loss quite hard and fueled them even further.
These teams most recently played on November 2, 2023. Here, India won by 302 runs. For Sri Lanka, players like Arjuna Ranatunga and Muttiah Muralitharan epitomize this rivalry, while India’s own Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Anil Kumble played roles.
England vs. South Africa
Due to the apartheid-related controversies, there’s a unique rivalry between these two countries. At one time, South Africa was excluded from international cricket due to racial segregation policies. When South Africa came back, though, it had players like Hansie Cronje. There’s a historical presence here that runs deep.
In 2023, South Africa beat England by 229 runs in the Cricket World Cup. In this match, Heinrich Klaasen smashed a 61-ball century, and Marco Jansen made an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls. The future of cricket in South Africa looks bright.
Conclusion
Cricket is a sport that dates back many years. Over that time, there’s been plenty of international competition, and everyone is always vying to be the best in the world. While we’ve listed numerous rivalries here, there’s even more than this, but perhaps the one that doesn’t get talked about enough is, as cliche as it sounds, the No. 1 team against the world. Competitors in cricket are fierce and are always looking to become the next top team. Because of this, the No. 1 team always has a target on its back, and this is also an opportunity for new rivalries to be born.
With these rivalries, you can always expect teeth-gritting, anxiety-inducing, dopamine-rushing contests. These teams, especially when they face one another, take their game to a new level to not only prove they’re the best but to make their country proud in pursuit of that No. 1 ranking.
