Colombo, February 15, 2026: A scintillating half-century from Ishan Kishan and a disciplined collective bowling performance propelled India to a commanding 61-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a challenging target of 176, Pakistan could only muster 114 before being bowled out in 18 overs. The chase began disastrously, with India’s pace duo Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya decimating Pakistan’s top order. Sahibzada Farhan (0), Saim Ayub (6), and captain Salman Ali Agha (4) were dismissed within the first two overs for just 13 runs on the board.
Wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan attempted to stabilize the innings, top-scoring with a valiant 44 off 34 balls, including six fours and a six. He shared a 21-run partnership with Babar Azam and a 39-run fifth-wicket stand with Shadab Khan, before falling to Axar Patel. Pakistan’s lower order could only add 19 runs, with Varun Chakravarthy claiming two key wickets and Pandya finishing off the innings.
For India, Bumrah, Patel, Pandya, and Chakravarthy each picked up two wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Varma supported with tight spells.
Earlier, India’s innings was anchored by Kishan, who scored a blistering 77 off 40 balls, including 10 fours and three sixes. He stitched together a dominant 87-run partnership with Tilak Varma that frustrated Pakistan’s bowling attack. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav added 32 off 29 balls, while Shivam Dube contributed 27 off 17 deliveries, helping India post 175/7 in their 20 overs.
For Pakistan, Saim Ayub was the standout bowler with figures of 3/25, supported by Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Usman Tariq, who each claimed a wicket.
The result reinforced India’s dominance in high-stakes encounters against Pakistan, with Kishan’s power-hitting and the Men in Blue’s clinical bowling proving decisive in Colombo.
