The most watched T20I ever outside of World Cups took place on August 28 in Group A of the Asia Cup 2022 between India and Pakistan.
The viewership data further showed that 176 million viewers tuned in to watch the first six games of Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE.
The India-Pakistan league match in Asia Cup 2022 recorded a cumulative reach of 133 million and registered 13.6 billion minutes, registering a growth of almost 30% compared to the match between these two teams in Asia Cup 2016. This is according to BARC data combining the urban and rural numbers seen from Star Sports and DD Sports broadcast in the country.
The biggest rivalry in cricket, Pakistan vs. India in Group A of the Asia Cup 2022, was played on Sunday. Hardik Pandya's all-around abilities were the key to India winning the match by five wickets.
With the ball, Pandya effectively used his short ball and gained additional bounce on a two-paced pitch to end Pakistan's innings in the middle of it with his spell of 3-25. After Pakistan was dismissed for 147 runs, India faced a situation where 59 runs were required off the final six overs.
From there, Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja shared a stand of 52 runs off just 29 balls (Pandya was 33 not out off 17 balls and Jadeja was 35 off 29 balls). Even though left-handed Jadeja was out in the penultimate over, Pandya brought India across the finish line and added another dramatic chapter to the history of India-Pakistan fights with a six off left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz.
"With Disney Star's emphasis on audience growth, the record-breaking viewership for the Asia Cup 2022 showcases Cricket's unmatched ability to bring together fans across platforms. We worked hard to make the Asia Cup a premier competition and to promote India vs. Pakistan as the must-see "Greatest Rivalry" in the world."
"The Ind vs. Pak league game became the best rated T20I ever thanks to our aggressive marketing strategy, lead-up programming, and regional coverage (outside of World Cup matches). This is a perfect way to kick off the festival of cricket, which also includes bilateral matches against Australia and South Africa and the ICC T20 World Cup "the Disney Star's Head of Sports, Sanjog Gupta, remarked.
After Pakistan defeated Afghanistan by one wicket on Wednesday, eliminating India from the Asia Cup 2022 final, Thursday's encounter against Afghanistan in Dubai will serve as their final contest of the competition.
Australia, the defending Men's T20 World Cup champion, will be India's opponent in its next home series, which will begin on September 20.