India and Pakistan, whose cricket rivalry is legendary, have faced off 31 times in the UAE since their first encounter in Sharjah in 1984. However, these matches over the past four decades have exclusively featured the men's teams. On Sunday, October 6, history was made as the women's teams from both countries met in the UAE for the first time.

It was fitting that the 100th T20I match at the Dubai International Stadium showcased the Indian and Pakistan teams. Despite initial expectations of a modest turnout for this group stage game in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, a staggering 16,000 fans braved the intense heat of a 2 pm kickoff in Dubai to witness the contest, setting a new record for a group stage game in the tournament.

While Pakistan was outperformed by India on the field, the Indian fans dominated the stands, significantly outnumbering their Pakistani counterparts. The Indian crowd was so large that Pakistani fans found themselves in small clusters within the stadium. Among the enthusiastic Indian supporters were Deepak Pandey, his wife Manisha, and their children Sharika, 13, and Arjan, 8.

"We moved to Dubai from India six months ago, and this is our first chance to watch an international cricket match. It's an incredible experience to be part of this crowd," Deepak told the Khaleej Times. "The passion for cricket here is undeniable, and the heat is no deterrent. The atmosphere, the cheering, it's fantastic."

Manisha, who plays cricket at her school, Ambassador School, expressed her dream of playing international cricket for her adopted home, the UAE. "It would be a dream come true to play for the UAE team," she said. Inspired by India's Smriti Mandhana and UAE's Vaishnave Mahesh, Manisha is determined to pursue cricket seriously.

Deepak is now focused on nurturing his children's cricket ambitions. "My son has started playing too. Every evening after work, I bowl to them. It's become a part of our daily routine," he said.

Parvathi Pillai, who attended the match with her parents Shiny and Sindhu, was thrilled to see players from her favorite IPL franchise, RCB. "I've been following women's cricket for seven years. The last WPL was very inspiring for me because I'm an RCB fan, and they finally won the trophy. It was the women's team that did it," she said.

Shiny Pillai was amazed by the crowd's response. "This is our fourth match in the UAE, and our first women's cricket match. The atmosphere today is incredible; we never expected such a big crowd for a women's cricket match," he said.

Vikash Chandra, an Indian expat, never misses an India-Pakistan game in the UAE. "It's always thrilling to watch an India-Pakistan clash. Today, it's amazing to be part of a women's match with 11 friends wearing similar t-shirts," said Chandra, who used to live in the same colony as MS Dhoni's family.