COLOMBO: India registered a dominant 61-run victory over Pakistan in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage encounter at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday, powered by a brilliant half-century from Ishan Kishan and a disciplined collective bowling performance.
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Chasing a challenging target of 176, Pakistan’s batting lineup collapsed under pressure and were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs despite a fighting knock from Usman Khan.
Pakistan endured a disastrous start as India’s pace attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, dismantled the top order within the first two overs. Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub and captain Salman Ali Agha were dismissed early, leaving the side struggling at 13/3.
Usman Khan attempted to stabilise the innings and top-scored with a determined 44 off 34 deliveries, sharing brief partnerships with Babar Azam and Shadab Khan. However, regular wickets halted Pakistan’s recovery as Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy struck at key moments to tighten India’s grip on the match.
India’s bowlers shared the spoils, with Bumrah, Pandya, Patel and Chakravarthy claiming two wickets each to seal a comprehensive win.
Earlier, after being put in to bat, India posted 175/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Pakistan made an early breakthrough when Abhishek Sharma fell for a duck, but Kishan spearheaded a strong recovery with an aggressive 77 off 40 balls, featuring 10 fours and three sixes.
Kishan’s 87-run partnership with Tilak Varma laid the foundation for a competitive total, while contributions from Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube ensured late momentum.
For Pakistan, Saim Ayub was the standout bowler, finishing with figures of 3/25, while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Ali Agha and Usman Tariq picked up one wicket each.
The victory strengthened India’s position in the group standings and moved them closer to qualification for the Super Eights stage, while Pakistan now face mounting pressure in the remainder of the tournament.
