NEW DELHI: India vs Pakistan T20Is are built for fireworks. They are the single biggest match on either team's cricketing calendars, but often it's the bowlers who decide the fireworks' timing. Here are five bowling performances that swung the game and moods in this fierce rivalry.

1. Mohammad Asif - 4/18 (Durban, Sep 2007)

In the inaugural T20 World Cup clash, which was also the first time these two sides played a T20I, Mohammad Asif's searing accuracy and late movement ripped through India's top order and set the tone for Pakistan's bowling. Asif's 4 for 18 strangled India's scoring in the powerplay and left them reeling; his spell remains one of the tournament's early icons. But alas, in the end, the match was decided via bowl-out, in which Pakistan's man of the match missed, handing the win to India.

2. Umar Gul - 4/37 (Ahmedabad, Dec 28, 2012)

Umar Gul's short, hostile seam in Ahmedabad produced three top-order blows and constant pressure that forced risky shots. His 4 for 37 came in a high-stakes home series visit and tilted momentum by turning comfortable batting intentions into panic, classic Umar: pace, bounce and a knack for breakthroughs. If not for Yuvraj Singh's demonic innings, Pakistan would have thrashed India through and through thanks to Umar.

3. Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 4/26 (Dubai, Aug 28, 2022)

Bhuvneshwar's subtle variation and pinpoint short balls in the 2022 Asia Cup cut open Pakistan's chase. He removed key players early, including captain Babar Azam, and his 4/26 choked Pakistan's rhythm, forcing them into a collapse that India exploited. It was a reminder that disciplined seam bowling can be the best counter to batting, even in T20Is.

4. Hardik Pandya - 3/8 (Mirpur, Feb 27, 2016)

In a low-scoring Asia Cup thriller at Mirpur, Hardik's 3 for 8 came with cunning variations and nerve under pressure. His late over wickets snuffed Pakistan's middle-order momentum and helped India squeeze home in a tight chase. An all-rounder's bowling cameo that was executed to perfection and had an outsized impact.

5. Jasprit Bumrah - 3/14 (June 9, 2024)

There was no way Jasprit Bumrah wouldn't have made it in this list. In the low-scoring 2024 T20 World Cup group clash, Bumrah's composed spell (3/14) strangled Pakistan's chase with precise yorkers and a dot-ball famine. He bowled 15 dot balls and picked up key dismissals at crucial junctures, turning a nervy low-scoring thriller into a celebrated win for India.

These five spells show that in India vs Pakistan T20Is, momentum often flips in a single over. Fast hands and clever seamers have repeatedly proved they can cage even the most explosive batting line-ups, and in this rivalry, that's the difference between headlines and heartbreak.