"Having peace at the borders" - Batting legend opens up on possibility of India-Pakistan bilateral series in future

Legendary India opener Sunil Gavaskar has opened up on the possibility of a bilateral series against Pakistan. Gavaskar believes that until there is a prolonged period of peace at the border, there is unlikely to even be discussions about a series between the two countries.

The arch-rivals haven't played a bilateral series since the 2012-13 leg when Pakistan toured India for two T20Is and three ODIs. With the two teams garnering record crowds, the ICC ensures the two nations are always pitted against each other in global tournaments.

Speaking on the show Sports Central, the 75-year-old claimed:

"By frankly having peace at the borders... (How can India and Pakistan play a bilateral series?) It’s very simple. If there's peace at the borders, then I think both governments will certainly say, 'Look, okay, we've had no incidents, nothing at all. So let's at least start talking. I'm pretty certain there will be some back-channel connections going on. But you want to see what's happening both on the ground and off the ground because of the fact that there are incursions we hear about. That’s the reason why the Indian government is saying, 'Look, maybe until all that stops, we should not even look at having or talking about anything."

The Men in Blue haven't played in Pakistan since 2008 due to the terror attacks in Mumbai. The BCCI declined to send the men's team to the neighboring nation for the 2025 Champions Trophy and the PCB eventually agreed to a hybrid model after months of resistance.

India dominated Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025 clash

Virat Kohli on his way to a century against Pakistan. (Credits: Getty)

Meanwhile, the Men in Blue dominated their arch-rivals in the Champions Trophy 2025 fixture played at the Dubai International Stadium. Although Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and opted to bat, they lost the momentum almost entirely in the middle overs and managed only 241.

Virat Kohli shone with the bat, scoring his 51st ODI hundred and received good support from Shubman Gill (46) and Shreyas Iyer (56) to take their side over the line with six wickets to spare. Rohit Sharma and Co. have sealed their spot in the semi-finals while Pakistan have been knocked out after two losses.