The Pakistan National Cricket Team vs Bangladesh National Cricket Team timeline stretches back to 1999, when a World Cup upset in Northampton first hinted that this fixture wouldn’t stay one-sided forever. Pakistan still leads the overall head-to-head 68-18 across 87 international matches, but the balance of power has shifted sharply since 2024, when Bangladesh won their first-ever Test series against Pakistan and followed it with a second sweep in 2026.
What Is the Pakistan vs Bangladesh Head-to-Head Record?
Pakistan leads Bangladesh 68-18 across 87 international matches – 19 Tests, 42 ODIs, and 26 T20Is – with one Test ending in a draw. Despite this historical dominance, Bangladesh has won the last two Test series (2024 and 2026) and the most recent ODI series, making this one of the most competitive stretches the rivalry has ever produced.
Pakistan’s early advantage came from superior pace bowling depth and a stronger domestic structure through the 2000s and early 2010s. Bangladesh’s recent resurgence, by contrast, has been built on spin-bowling maturity, disciplined seam options, and a settled leadership core – factors that have narrowed a gap many assumed was permanent.
Format-Wise Breakdown of the Rivalry
| Format | Matches | Pakistan Wins | Bangladesh Wins | Draws |
| Tests | 19 | 12 | 6 | 1 |
| ODIs | 42 | 35 | 7 | 0 |
| T20Is | 26 | 21 | 5 | 0 |
The Test column tells the real story of this cricket rivalry timeline – Bangladesh has taken six of their twelve Test wins in just the last two series alone, meaning their historic breakthrough is extremely recent and heavily concentrated.
Complete Pakistan National Cricket Team vs Bangladesh National Cricket Team Timeline (1999-2026)
The full chronology of Pakistan vs Bangladesh cricket history shows a fixture that stayed lopsided for over two decades before flipping dramatically after 2024. Below is the complete milestone-by-milestone record of how this rivalry evolved from a mismatch into a genuine contest.
| Year | Event | Result |
| 1999 | Bangladesh’s first-ever win over Pakistan, ICC World Cup, Northampton | Bangladesh won by 62 runs |
| 2001-02 | First Test meeting between the two nations, played in Multan and Dhaka | Pakistan won both Tests comfortably |
| 2002 | Best-ever ODI bowling figures in the rivalry recorded against Bangladesh | Pakistan won |
| 2008 | Highest individual ODI score by either side in this fixture | Pakistan won |
| 2010 | Highest team ODI total in rivalry history, Dambulla | Pakistan won |
| 2015 | Bangladesh’s highest-ever ODI total against Pakistan, Mirpur | Bangladesh won |
| 2016 | Pakistan’s dominant T20I win at a major ICC tournament, Eden Gardens | Pakistan won |
| Aug 2024 | Bangladesh’s maiden Test series win over Pakistan, Rawalpindi | Bangladesh won 2-0 |
| 2025 | Pakistan swept a home T20I series against Bangladesh | Pakistan won 2-0 |
| Mar 2026 | Bangladesh recorded Pakistan’s lowest-ever ODI total against them, Dhaka | Bangladesh won series 2-1 |
| May 2026 | Bangladesh’s second consecutive Test series win, Dhaka and Sylhet | Bangladesh won 2-0 |
This table is the core reference point for anyone searching the Pakistan vs Bangladesh timeline, since it condenses 27 years of head-to-head history into the moments that actually redefined the fixture.
The 1999 World Cup Upset That Started It All
Bangladesh’s first meaningful result against Pakistan came before either side had even played a Test against each other. In the 1999 World Cup at Northampton, a Bangladesh side still years away from Test status bowled Pakistan out for 161 and won by 62 runs – against an attack that included Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Saqlain Mushtaq. It remains one of the most cited ODI cricket upsets of the pre-2000 era and gave Bangladesh’s cricket board the ammunition it needed to push for full ICC membership.
The 2001-02 Test Debut That Set the Early Tone
When the two sides met in Test cricket for the first time in 2001-02, Pakistan won both matches by overwhelming margins, including an innings-and-264-run victory in Multan. That gulf in class defined the next two decades of Test cricket between Pakistan and Bangladesh, with Bangladesh unable to win a single Test against Pakistan for 23 years afterward.
Rivalry Milestones: Firsts, Records, and Turning Points
Bangladesh’s biggest breakthrough moments against Pakistan came 25 years apart – their first ODI win in 1999 and their first Test win in 2024 – highlighting how long the format gap actually persisted.
- First ODI meeting: 1999, Dhaka – Pakistan won by 152 runs
- First Bangladesh win in any format: 1999 ICC World Cup, Northampton – Bangladesh won by 62 runs
- First Test meeting: 2001, Multan – Pakistan won by an innings and 264 runs
- First-ever Bangladesh Test win over Pakistan: August 2024, Rawalpindi – Bangladesh won by 10 wickets after 12 straight Test losses
- Largest Bangladesh Test win margin: 78 runs, Sylhet, 2026
- Lowest-ever Pakistan ODI total against Bangladesh: 114 all out, Dhaka, March 2026
These milestones matter because they show the rivalry’s momentum shift wasn’t gradual – it was concentrated almost entirely within a 24-month window between 2024 and 2026.
Why the Rawalpindi 2024 Test Mattered So Much
Bangladesh’s 2-0 series win in Rawalpindi wasn’t just a shock result; it ended Pakistan’s unbeaten home Test record against them and proved Bangladesh could win away from home conditions that traditionally favored their spinners. That single series arguably did more to change perceptions of Bangladesh’s Test credentials than any other result in the team’s history.
Records Table: Who Holds the Pakistan vs Bangladesh Head-to-Head Records?
Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf holds the most ODI runs in this fixture, while Shahid Afridi holds the most ODI wickets – both records set during Pakistan’s dominant early-2000s stretch.
| Category | ODI Record Holder | T20I Record Holder |
| Most runs | Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan) – 893 runs | Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) – 360 runs |
| Most wickets | Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) – 32 wickets | Mohammad Wasim and Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) – 10 wickets each |
| Highest individual score | Salman Butt (Pakistan) – 136 | Ahmed Shehzad (Pakistan) – 111 not out |
| Best bowling figures | Abdul Razzaq (Pakistan) – 6 for 35 | Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan) – 4 for 22 |
| Highest team total | Pakistan – 385/7, Dambulla, 2010 | Pakistan – 203/5, Karachi, 2008 |
In Test cricket records between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Pakistan’s highest total stands at 628, while Bangladesh’s best is 565; Pakistan’s lowest total against Bangladesh is 107, and Bangladesh’s lowest is 30 – a gap that shows batting depth is still where Pakistan retains its clearest edge.
Bowling Records Reflect Two Very Different Eras
Nearly every major bowling record in this fixture, from Abdul Razzaq’s 6 for 35 to Shahid Afridi’s wicket tally, belongs to Pakistani bowlers from the 2000s. That era-specific concentration is itself informative – it shows Bangladesh’s current bowling generation, led by spinners and an emerging pace unit, has yet to accumulate career-long numbers to match, even though their recent match-winning performances have been decisive.
Pakistan vs Bangladesh in ICC Tournaments
Bangladesh’s only ICC World Cup win over Pakistan came in 1999, while Pakistan remains unbeaten against Bangladesh across five T20 World Cup meetings.
- ODI World Cup: Bangladesh’s 1999 win in Northampton remains their only World Cup victory over Pakistan and is still regarded as one of the format’s biggest historical upsets
- T20 World Cup: Pakistan is unbeaten in five meetings, most recently winning by 55 runs at Eden Gardens in 2016
- Champions Trophy: The two sides met at the 2025 Champions Trophy in Rawalpindi, with Pakistan winning
- Asia Cup: Pakistan’s 385/7 in 2010 and Bangladesh’s collapse to 87 all out in 2000 both occurred during Asia Cup fixtures, representing the extreme ends of this rivalry’s batting performances
Why ICC Tournament Results Differ From Bilateral Series Trends
It’s worth separating ICC tournament history from bilateral series form, because Bangladesh’s 2024-2026 improvement has been almost entirely visible in bilateral Tests and ODIs, not in multi-team ICC events. Pakistan’s tournament dominance, particularly in T20 World Cups, suggests Bangladesh’s gains haven’t yet translated fully to high-pressure, neutral-venue knockout cricket.
Why Has Bangladesh Closed the Gap Since 2024?
Bangladesh’s turnaround stems from improved spin-bowling depth, a maturing pace-bowling unit, and settled captaincy – not a one-off result.
Bangladesh’s 2024 and 2026 Test series wins were built on spin-bowling control, with Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz consistently exploiting worn subcontinental surfaces that once favored Pakistan’s seam attack. The emergence of a genuine pace option – a bowler who took a maiden five-wicket haul to reduce Pakistan to a record-low ODI total in March 2026 – signals Bangladesh’s attack has diversified well beyond its traditional spin-first identity.
Leadership stability has mattered just as much as personnel. Bangladesh’s Test and white-ball captains have had continuity across this period, while Pakistan has dealt with recurring captaincy uncertainty during the same stretch. Senior Bangladesh batters have also stepped up in the biggest moments, with centuries in the decisive 2026 series proving their top order can now handle sustained pressure against a traditionally superior opponent.
The Domestic Structure Behind Bangladesh’s Rise
Beyond personnel, Bangladesh’s domestic first-class and List A structures have produced more bowlers capable of performing in longer formats – a shift that’s directly visible in their improved Test results since 2024. This structural investment is the underlying reason the recent wins look less like isolated upsets and more like the start of a genuine competitive era.
Recent Series Results: Pakistan vs Bangladesh Timeline (2024-2026)
Bangladesh has won three of the last four bilateral series against Pakistan across formats since 2024, the most sustained competitive stretch in the rivalry’s history.
- 2024 Test series (played in Pakistan): Bangladesh won 2-0
- 2025 T20I series (played in Pakistan): Pakistan won 2-0
- March 2026 ODI series (played in Bangladesh): Bangladesh won 2-1
- May 2026 Test series (played in Bangladesh): Bangladesh won 2-0
This run of results is the clearest evidence that the Pakistan-Bangladesh cricket rivalry has genuinely evolved rather than simply produced a couple of surprise scorelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the overall Pakistan vs Bangladesh head-to-head record?
Pakistan leads 68-18 across 87 matches in all formats, with one Test ending in a draw.
When did Bangladesh first beat Pakistan in cricket?
Bangladesh’s first win over Pakistan came at the 1999 ICC World Cup in Northampton, a 62-run victory.
When did Bangladesh first win a Test series against Pakistan?
August 2024, when Bangladesh swept a two-match series 2-0 in Rawalpindi after 23 years and 12 consecutive Test losses.
What is the highest team total in Pakistan vs Bangladesh ODI history?
Pakistan’s 385 for 7 at Dambulla in 2010 remains the highest team total recorded in this fixture.
Who has scored the most runs in the Pakistan vs Bangladesh rivalry?
Mohammad Yousuf leads with 893 ODI runs for Pakistan, while Shakib Al Hasan tops Bangladesh’s T20I scoring with 360 runs.
Who has taken the most wickets in this head-to-head history?
Shahid Afridi holds the ODI wicket record with 32 dismissals for Pakistan against Bangladesh.
What was the result of the most recent Pakistan vs Bangladesh Test series?
Bangladesh won the May 2026 series 2-0, completing their second consecutive series sweep over Pakistan.
Has Pakistan ever been bowled out for under 150 runs by Bangladesh in ODIs?
Yes, Pakistan’s all-time ODI low against Bangladesh is 114, recorded in Dhaka in March 2026.
How has Pakistan performed against Bangladesh in T20 World Cups?
Pakistan remains unbeaten across five T20 World Cup meetings against Bangladesh.
Which team has won more recent bilateral series in this rivalry?
Bangladesh has won three of the last four bilateral series against Pakistan since 2024, across both Test and ODI formats.
