India vs Pakistan during a match and Jay Shah [Source: X]While the India vs Pakistan clash remain one of the greatest rivalries in the history of cricket, former Bangladesh captain and ex-chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu has made a bold remark by saying he thinks otherwise. In recent times, although anticipation remains sky-high for India vs Pakistan matches, the on-field contests have lacked the sharp, edge-of-the-seat thrill and instead have turned into one-sided games that seem boring to watch for many.Minhajul Abedin Nannu believes that the India vs Bangladesh rivalry has now become more competitive and watchable than what is considered the greatest rivalry in world cricket, even in a T20 World Cup match.Minhajul Abedin Feels Bangladesh Is Better Than PakistanSpeaking in a recent media interaction, Nannu admitted that India vs Pakistan clashes are now very boring and that India-Bangladesh matches “Right now, it feels like India-Bangladesh matches are more lively than India–Pakistan games in the subcontinent,” Nannu said in the press interaction. Citing an example from the T20 World Cup 2026, Abedin shared that since Bangladesh has been ousted from the tournament, it is now lacking the excitement that India-Bangladesh contests would have brought, instead of the February 15 clash that saw Pakistan demolished by a 61-run defeat. “People’s focus is often more on India–Bangladesh matches than India-Pakistan matches. This World Cup is missing that excitement,” Nannu added. India's Superior Domination Over PakistanTo give a clear view of India’s dominance, it is to be noted that the Men in Blue have faced Pakistan nine times in T20 World Cup history, where India have won eight matches, and Pakistan have won only one. While the teams remain fierce rivals, Bangladesh unfortunately had to exit the T20 World Cup 2026. India's star opener Ishan Kishan led with the bat, scoring 77 off 40 balls to power India to a total of 175, after which Pakistan's openers collapsed disastrously and the team managed only 114 runs before being bundled out inside 18 overs. Bangladesh Miss India Rivalry For ICC-BCB FiascoJust a few weeks ahead of participation, Bangladesh’s pace star Mustafizur Rahman was withdrawn from the Indian Premier League due to a rise in anti-Muslim and anti-Islam sentiments in India. Citing security concerns over threats reportedly issued by some Indian religious leaders against the Bangladesh cricket team, the Bangladesh government announced that they were not willing to send its players to India and suggested that arrangements be made in Sri Lanka instead. However, the International Cricket Council did not accept the formal request and asked Bangladesh to either participate in India or be replaced, to which the government responded firmly. Bangladesh was then replaced by Scotland, and as a result, the team is missing the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 action. Bangladesh's Recent FixturesNevertheless, although Bangladesh’s 2026 calendar is yet to be announced, the last international fixture they played was against Ireland, where Bangladesh won the T20I series 2-1 at Ireland’s home ground. To compensate for the absence from the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh have launched some domestic cricket leagues to keep their players engaged, as the intensity of cricket continues in the cricket-loving nation.
