When Imran Khan-led Pakistan defeated India in New York!

In 1989, under the leadership of Imran Khan, Pakistan defeated India in America and created a stir in Indian cricket, according to a BBC Urdu report.

This is not the first time that players from Pakistan and India are playing a cricket match in New York. Both teams came to this city in 1989 as well.

In fact, it was the first match of a series of three exhibition matches. Around 15,000 fans gathered to watch the 40-over day-nighter after a day's work.

Pakistan were led by Imran Khan and accompanied by many 'Corner Tigers' who would go on to win the 1992 World Cup. Among them were Javed Miandad, Salim Malik and Mushtaq Ahmed.

The Indian team was led by Dilip Vengsarkar and included Mohammad Azharuddin, Kapil Dev, and Sanjay Manjrekar. India's all-rounder Ravi Shastri helped organize the first match against West Indies apart from the matches against Pakistan.

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja recalled that even though it was an exhibition game we still wanted to beat them.

Thanks to Salim's 53 runs, Pakistan scored 162 runs, but India remained victorious.

India's Robin Singh top-scored with 47 and with three balls to go, Vengsarkar scored the winning run, hitting Mushtaq for a massive six.

However, Pakistan levelled the series in Toronto, after Imran Khan's brilliant 91 not out helped them chase down 222 runs.

After that, Pakistan won the North American Cup by winning the match by four wickets thanks to Ramiz's 47 runs in Los Angeles.

The players participating in the India vs Pakistan fixtures in the US received $2,000 per player. This was the era when players were struggling to make money from the game.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had agreed to go on 'holiday' to the players going to the US but prohibited them from playing cricket.

The Indian players went to America and Canada after the worst defeat in the West Indies tour, which apparently angered the BCCI.

On their return to India, the board banned Vengsarkar, Dev, Shastri, Azharuddin, Kiran More and Arun Lal for one year while the rest were fined.

Writer R. Mohan, who wrote on cricket in India, called it 'cricket's gravest crisis'.

However, after protests, newspaper campaigns and a three-month court battle, the decision was overturned. In contrast, Pakistani players did not face any problems.

Ramiz Raja said that Imran was the king of cricket in those days. "He was the board, he was the chairman of the selectors, he was the captain, so we did not have any problem in playing with the Indian team in America."