India delivered a dominant performance to defeat Pakistan by 61 runs at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. With this victory, India strengthened their impressive record against Pakistan in T20 World Cups, now leading 8-1. More importantly, the win confirmed India’s place in the Super 8 stage of the tournament.
Kishan Leads India Strong Total
After winning the toss, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha chose to bowl first, expecting the pitch to help the bowlers. The surface looked slightly slow and was expected to assist spinners. India, however, did not get the start they wanted. Opener Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a duck in the very first over, mistiming a shot against spin.
Despite the early setback, Ishan Kishan took control of the innings. He played an outstanding knock of 77 runs from just 40 balls. Kishan attacked from the beginning and scored at a very high strike rate, close to 200. On a pitch where the ball was not coming easily onto the bat, he showed great confidence and timing. His aggressive approach kept Pakistan bowlers under pressure.
After Kishan dismissal, Pakistan spinners started bowling tightly. India’s middle order found it slightly difficult to score freely. Suryakumar Yadav played a steady knock of 32 runs from 28 balls. Shivam Dube added 27 important runs, and Rinku Singh contributed an unbeaten 11 at the end to push the total higher.
Saim Ayub was Pakistan best bowler, picking up three wickets for 25 runs. His spell slowed India down in the middle overs. However, India still managed to score 175 for 7 in 20 overs. After the innings, captain Suryakumar Yadav said that the team felt they were 15 to 20 runs above par on that pitch.
Pakistan Chase Crumbles Under Pressure
Pakistan needed 176 runs to win, which required a solid start. But India’s bowlers had other plans. Hardik Pandya made an immediate impact in the very first over. He bowled a wicket-maiden and dismissed Sahibzada Farhan for a duck. This early breakthrough put Pakistan under pressure.
Jasprit Bumrah then joined the attack and made things even worse for Pakistan. He dismissed Saim Ayub and captain Salman Ali Agha in quick succession. Within just two overs, Pakistan were struggling at 13 for 3. The required run rate kept rising, and the pressure became too much.
Axar Patel soon removed Babar Azam, one of Pakistan’s most experienced batters. Losing key players early left Pakistan in serious trouble. The Indian bowlers maintained tight lines and did not allow easy runs during the powerplay.
There was a small fightback from Usman Khan and Shadab Khan. Usman played a brave innings of 44 runs from 34 balls, trying to rebuild the chase. Shadab supported him well, and together they added 39 runs for a partnership. For a short while, Pakistan fans hoped for a comeback.
However, India’s spin bowlers quickly ended that hope. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy bowled with great control and accuracy. Chakaravarthy was especially impressive, taking two wickets for just 17 runs. His variations confused the batters and slowed down the scoring.
Tilak Varma also chipped in with the ball and picked up the important wicket of Shadab Khan with his very first delivery. That breakthrough ended Pakistan’s resistance.
Pakistan’s lower order tried to add some respectability to the total. Shaheen Shah Afridi scored 23 not out and hit a few attacking shots. But by then, the target was too far away. The required run rate was climbing rapidly, and wickets continued to fall.
Hardik Pandya returned to finish the job. He ended with excellent figures of 2 wickets for 16 runs. Pakistan were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs, falling well short of the target.
Match Summary
Toss : pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first
India innings : 175/7 in 20 overs
Top scorer : Ishan Kishan 77 runs off 40 balls
Top Bowler : Saim Ayub 3/25 in 4 overs
Pakistan innings : 114/10 in 18 over
Top Scorer : Usman Khan 44 runs off 34 deliveries
Top Bowler : Hardik Pandya 2/16 in 3 over and 1 maden over
Player of the match : Ishan Kishan