India's All-Time World Cup XI v Pakistan 

A sporting strife, along with a tinge of political and cultural ethos is what makes India v Pakistan the mother of all rivalries.

The stakes get particularly higher when the two sides lock horns at the biggest stage - the ICC World Cup - making it an encounter to cherish for all the cricket aficionados.

The two sides have clashed seven times in the marquee event, with India outgunning their arch-rivals on all the occasions. There has been a rich amount of cricketing legacy associated with these encounters, which make them even more mouth-watering.

A lot of Indian sides over the years have taken to Pakistan and battered them and on that very note, we look at the best-ever Indian XI against the Men in Green.

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Openers - Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma

The Master Blaster

Sachin Tendulkar, the linchpin of Indian batting line up for about two decades, rose up to the occasion every time that India rubbed shoulders with its neighbors.

Sachin was a part of the Indian squad in five out of the six World Cup matches between India and Pakistan, also winning the Man of the Match award on three occasions. The legendary batsman scored an unbeaten 54* and claimed the priced scalp of Aamir Sohail when the two sides met for the first time in 1992.

Having made valuable contributions to the team's cause in the next two outings, Tendulkar perhaps played the innings of his life at Johannesburg in the 2003 World Cup, scoring a fiery 98, smashing the likes of Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Younis all round the park. His iconic six off Shoaib Akhtar over third man is still afresh in the eyes of the Indian fans.

Eight years later, Sachin's bat again did the talking in a high-voltage semi-final clash between the two in the 2011 World Cup, scoring a match-winning knock of 85. Tendulkar has scored 313 runs in the 5 games he played against Pakistan.

Rohit Sharma has the highest score in India vs Pakistan World Cup clashes

Rohit Sharma, widely acclaimed as the 'Hitman' of cricket for his effortless striking, has exhibited his class in the 2015 and 2019 editions of the tournament against Pakistan.

Although he departed for a small score in 2015, he more than redeemed himself by scoring a glorious 140-run knock against Pakistan. Rohit executed his trademark mantra of success; a solid start followed by steady acceleration, as he raced away to the highest individual score in India v Pakistan World Cup clashes.

The Indian vice-captain was awarded the Man of the Match accolade for his majestic batting exploits.

Middle Order - Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni (c & wk)

India v Pakistan - ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

Virat Kohli, arguably the best batsman in the world at the moment, is widely known for his exploits against Pakistan. He has been a part of the Indian World Cup side in 2011 and 2015. Kohli could not make an impact in his first outing against them.

However, when India played the first-ever World Cup match against Pakistan without Sachin Tendulkar, he stepped into the shoes of his role model, becoming the first Indian to score a century against Pakistan in the marquee event.

This time around, as the skipper, Kohli notched a match-winning partnership with Rohit Sharma, shifted gears when required and ran through the Pakistan bowling attack.

Dravid justified his tag of being 'The Wall' Dhoni captained India in 2011 and 2015 World Cup

Rahul Dravid justified his tag of being 'The Wall' of Indian cricket in the two times he featured against the Men in Green.

The elegant stroke-maker top-scored with a rock-solid 61 in a low-scoring encounter in the 1999 World Cup. In the next edition, Dravid held one end when India were in a spot of bother, and ensured that Sachin's mesmerizing knock did not go in vain, as he battled out the Pakistani pacers for a hard fought 44*.

He executed what he did best - keep the scoreboard ticking, play risk-free cricket and of course, be as reliable as he always had been.

MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni captained the Indian side in the first two World Cups of this decade, leading the subcontinental juggernauts to ultimate glory in 2011.

In the two clashes against Pakistan, Dhoni did not make a major impact with the bat. However, he channelized his resources to perfection.

The wily deicision-maker kept on creating pressure on the Pakistani batsmen with his aggressive field placements and crucial bowling changes, helping India to maintain the 100% win ratio over their bitter rivals.

Particularly, his move of including Ashish Nehra in place of Ravichandran Ashwin in the 2011 World Cup semi final reaped rewards.

All Rounders - Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina

'Yuvraj Singh has got the Punjab going'

Known to be a big match player, Yuvraj Singh justified his credentials in the high adrenaline games against Pakistan in the World Cup.

Making his way into the side as a young colt in 2003, Yuvraj put pressure on the rich crop of Pakistani pacers at their prime, scoring a brisk 50* to ensure that the team crossed the line without any hiccups.

Fast forward eight years, he executed the role of a senior all-rounder, applying brakes on the Pakistani innings with his handy slow left-arm bowling, claiming two important wickets and thereby, clawing India back into the game.

Suresh Raina excelled as a finisher in the 2011 WC

Suresh Raina turned out to be the X-Factor for the Indian side the two times that he took ground against Pakistan in the semi-final in 2011.

The southpaw finished off the innings in great fashion, helping India to maintain a firm grip over the match. His 36 runs in the semi final of 2011 may sound insignificant, but were worth its weight in gold.

Similarly, his 56-ball-74 turned out to be crucial for India in the context of that game, as it helped the then-defending champions to post 300 on the board.

Spinner - Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble proved to be a game-changer in many India-Pakistan encounters

Kumble debuted against Pakistan at the World Cup at his home ground, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium at Bengaluru in the 1996 World Cup.

He applied brakes on the Pakistani innings with his handy leg-spin and swung the match in India's favour, bowling brilliantly in tandem with Venkatesh Prasad. Due to the sustained pressure, the opposition choked and gave their wickets away.

'Jumbo' carried forward his partnership with Prasad three years down the line as well. Kumble played a total of three World Cup games against Pakistan, in 1996, 1999 and 2003, and turned out to be a handy bowler in the middle overs.

He picked five wickets in the three games, at an excellent economy rate. Most importantly, they were prized wickets that came at key intervals. Thus, one simply cannot keep the great Anil Kumble out of his honorable side.

Fast Bowlers - Venkatesh Prasad, Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan

Venkatesh Prasad was a seasoned campaigner for India

Although Pakistan is famed for its rich crop of fast bowlers, the Indian seamers played a crucial role in edging over them in the seven games at the marquee event. Three standout pacers in these encounters were Venkatesh Prasad, Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan.

Venkatesh Prasad, particularly, was at his lethal best against Pakistan, picking up eight scalps in the two WC games that he played against them. His vicious delivery that uprooted the off-stump of Aamir Sohail in the 1996 quarter final and the aggressive celebrations that followed there after, are still etched in the memories of Indian fans. Prasad also won the Man of the Match award in the 1999 clash for his haul of 5/27.

Javagal Srinath was a part of the Indian side for the first four games against the fierce rivals. Known to be a genuine exponent of pure pace, Srinath picked wickets consistently, spearheading the bowling attack. He picked up seven wickets in the four games that he featured in

Zaheer Khan discharged the role of Srinath's deputy in 2003, and rose to becoming the mainstay in the 2011 edition, as he picked two wickets apiece in both the games, at an impressive economy. Not to mention, Zaheer Khan remained the best bowler of the 2011 World Cup.