Ishan Kishan’s sparkling 77 and a ruthless bowling display powered India to their eighth T20 World Cup win over arch-rivals Pakistan in a commanding Colombo showdown.
TFP Bureau, Colombo/New Delhi, February 16, 2026: India delivered a dominant all-round performance to defeat Pakistan by 61 runs in a one-sided Group match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the iconic R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday, sealing qualification for the Super 8 stage in emphatic fashion.
Batting first after winning the toss, India posted a competitive 175 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs, riding on a fluent half-century from Ishan Kishan. Pakistan’s chase never gathered momentum as the Indian bowlers struck at regular intervals, bundling out the rivals for 114 in 18 overs to register a comprehensive victory.
India Recover After Early Jolt
India’s innings began on an uneasy note with opener Abhishek Sharma dismissed for a duck in the very first over by Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha. However, Kishan counter-attacked brilliantly, stabilising the innings with confident stroke play.
India reached 52 for 1 in the Powerplay, with Kishan racing to his half-century off just 27 balls. The left-hander went on to score 77 off 40 deliveries, striking 10 fours and three sixes, and anchoring the Indian innings through the middle overs.
Contributions also came from captain Suryakumar Yadav, who chipped in with a steady 32, and Tilak Verma, who added 25. Shivam Dubey provided late impetus with a quick 27 before being run out, while Hardik Pandya fell cheaply attempting a big hit. India, however, ensured a strong finish to set Pakistan a stiff target of 176.
For Pakistan, Saim Ayub was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq and Salman Ali Agha claimed one wicket each.
Pakistan Crumble Under Pressure
Pakistan’s reply got off to a disastrous start as opener Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed without scoring in the first over by Hardik Pandya. The pressure intensified in the second over when Jasprit Bumrah struck twice, trapping Saim AyubLBW and removing captain Salman Ali Agha soon after.
Pakistan never recovered from the early blows. Star batter Babar Azam struggled to find fluency and was eventually dismissed by Axar Patel. Wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan offered some resistance with 44 off 34 balls but also fell to Axar.
The Indian spinners tightened the noose in the middle overs, with Varun Chakravarthy removing Faheem Ashraf and Abrar Ahmed off consecutive deliveries, narrowly missing a hat-trick. Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Verma chipped in with crucial wickets, while Hardik Pandya returned to clean bowl Usman Tariq to bring the innings to a close.
India’s bowling effort was marked by discipline and variety, with Bumrah, Hardik, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel picking up two wickets apiece to dismantle Pakistan’s batting line-up.
Dominance in the Big Rivalry
With this victory, India extended their overwhelming dominance over Pakistan in T20 World Cup history. Of the nine matches played between the two arch-rivals in the tournament, India have now won eight, with Pakistan’s only victory coming in the 2021 edition. The 61-run win in Colombo stands out as one of India’s most commanding performances against Pakistan on the world stage.
Road to the Super 8
India’s march to the Super 8 has been marked by consistency and authority. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India opened their campaign with a 29-run win over the United States, followed by a massive 93-run victory against Namibia. Sunday’s triumph over Pakistan completed a perfect group-stage run.
Pakistan, meanwhile, had started with a narrow win over the Netherlands and followed it up with a 32-run victory against the United States, but the heavy defeat against India has left them facing an uphill task in the tournament.
Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Verma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dubey, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Khan (wk), Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq
Score:
India 175/7 (20 overs)
Pakistan 114 all out (18 overs)
With confidence soaring and form peaking at the right time, India now head into the Super 8 stage as one of the strongest contenders for the title.
