How the mighty have fallen. A storied rivalry of equals has gradually devolved into one-way traffic, once-formidable Pakistan now struggling to keep pace with both the Indian juggernaut and the emerging trends in 20-over cricket.

Pakistan contested the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup, unsuccessfully, against India in 2007 and emerged triumphant two years later when they overcame Sri Lanka in the title clash at Lord’s. Since then, they have made only one final, going down to England at the MCG in 2022. They failed to advance beyond the first stage at last year’s World Cup in the USA, after going down to the host nation in the Super Over in a gargantuan upset in Dallas and then falling six short during a modest chase of 120 on an admittedly dicey surface against India at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.