India-Pakistan match broke all records, PCB’s drama worked for ICC

New Delhi. For several weeks it seemed that the India-Pakistan match would probably not take place in the T20 World Cup 2026. Threats of boycott from Pakistan, ultimatum in the boardroom and emergency ICC meetings in Lahore had made the atmosphere tense, but when finally the first ball was bowled in Colombo, this match had become a bigger spectacle than before. This drama that shook the tournament further increased its shine and a new viewership record was registered on JioHotstar.

The standoff that started with Bangladesh’s withdrawal and Pakistan’s initial boycott stance finally ended in a U-turn. Sanctions were discussed, financial penalties came up and the PCB reportedly even demanded some concessions. Ultimately Islamabad instructed the team to play, cricket was saved and the statistics created history.

India-Pak match made a new record

According to JioStar, the official broadcast and digital partner in India, the India vs Pakistan match on JioHotstar recorded an unprecedented digital reach of 16.30 crore (163 million), the highest ever reach for a match in any ICC T20 event. It also overtook the digital viewership of the 2024 T20 World Cup final (India vs South Africa). The growth was extremely fast and the reach of this match was 56% more than the India-Pakistan match of the 2024 edition. On mobile alone, it became the highest reach of any league-stage match in an ICC T20 event, which was 1.2 times more than the previous India-Pakistan match. Whereas the reach on connected TV (CTV) was 2.4 times more than in 2024.

If there was any doubt about the attractiveness of this rivalry, the watch-time figures put it to rest. The match recorded a whopping 20 billion minutes of total watch-time across all screens, which is 42% more than the previous edition. With India’s resounding 61-run win, its head-to-head record against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup became 8-1.

Record made on TV also

This match also registered a 71% TRP increase on TV and became the highest rated India-Pakistan T20 match since 2021. Even in the era of streaming, it became clear that big matches still remain ‘appointment viewing’. Anup Govindan, Head – Sales (Sports), Jiostar, said, “Both the build-up and the match of the India vs Pakistan match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 had all the elements of a spectacular spectacle. The record-breaking reach and consumption reflects the level at which fans across the world engage with the tournament. Siddharth Sharma, Head of Content, Sports – Jiostar, said, “The unprecedented viewership for the India vs Pakistan match. And the engagement figures once again prove the level of passion there is for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the country.