T20 World Cup
India delivered another commanding performance against Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup, securing a comprehensive 61-run victory in Colombo on Sunday. A blazing half-century from Ishan Kishan and a disciplined, collective bowling display ensured the Men in Blue remained unbeaten in Group A.
After being asked to bat first, India recovered from an early setback to post 175/7 in 20 overs, the highest team total in an India-Pakistan ICC T20 World Cup match. Pakistan, in response, were bundled out for 114 in 18 overs as India extended their dominance in this historic rivalry.
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Pakistan captain Salman Agha struck on the final ball of the opening over, dismissing world number one T20I batter Abhishek Sharma for a four-ball duck, leaving India at 0/1. However, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma counter-attacked in the next over, hammering Shaheen Afridi for 15 runs. India moved to 25/1 after three overs.
Kishan took charge in the fifth over, smashing a four and a six off Abrar Ahmed as India reached 41/1. At the end of the powerplay, the score stood at 52/1. In the following over, Kishan hit three consecutive boundaries off Abrar and brought up his half-century in just 27 deliveries, the third fastest in an India-Pakistan T20I contest, behind Abhishek Sharma (24) and Mohammad Hafeez (23).
Kishan’s aggressive knock came to an end in the ninth over when Saim Ayub dismissed him for 77 off 40 balls, an innings that included 10 fours and three sixes. Ayub also broke the crucial 87-run partnership for the second wicket between Kishan and Tilak. India were 88/2 in 8.4 overs and 92/2 at the halfway mark.
Kishan’s 77 stands as the third-highest individual score in India-Pakistan T20I matches, behind Virat Kohli’s 78*, Mohammad Rizwan’s 79*, and Kohli’s 82*.
After his departure, captain Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak steadied the innings, guiding India past the 100-run mark in 11.1 overs and to 125/2 in 14 overs. Pakistan fought back in the 15th over as Ayub dismissed Tilak for 25 off 24 balls and then removed Hardik Pandya for a golden duck on the very next delivery, reducing India to 126/4.
India reached 140/4 after 17 overs. Abrar conceded 14 runs in the 18th over, pushing the total to 154/4. In the 19th over, Usman Tariq dismissed Suryakumar for 32 off 29 balls, with three fours. Shaheen Afridi conceded 16 runs in the final over as India finished on 175/7.
For Pakistan, Saim Ayub was the standout bowler with figures of 3/25. Usman Tariq (1/24), Shaheen Afridi (1/31) and Salman Agha (1/10) also picked up wickets.
Chasing 176, Pakistan endured a nightmare start. Sahibzada Farhan fell for a four-ball duck to Hardik Pandya, with Rinku Singh taking a catch off a top-edge. In the next over, Jasprit Bumrah trapped Saim Ayub lbw for six and also removed skipper Salman Ali Agha for four. Pakistan were 13/3 after two overs.
Babar Azam began cautiously, while Usman Khan counter-attacked with two boundaries off Axar Patel in the fifth over. Axar had the last word, dismissing Babar for a seven-ball five as Pakistan slipped to 34/4.
Usman continued to score freely, hitting four boundaries off Axar, and Shadab Khan joined in as Pakistan reached 50 in 7.1 overs. At the 10-over mark, Pakistan were 71/4 with Usman and Shadab unbeaten.
The 39-ball partnership was broken when Axar struck again, and Ishan Kishan executed a brilliant stumping to remove Usman for 44 off 34 balls, an innings featuring six fours and a six. Pakistan were 73/5 in 10.4 overs.
Mohammad Nawaz was caught by Shivam Dube, handing Kuldeep Yadav a wicket, and Pakistan’s score was 78 in 11.4 overs. The collapse continued as Shadab was dismissed for 14 by Tilak Varma, with Dube taking another catch, leaving Pakistan at 78/7 in 12.1 overs.
Varun Chakravarthy joined the party, with Rinku Singh taking a safe catch to remove Faheem Ashraf for 10. Pakistan were 97/8 in 15.3 overs, and on the very next ball, Abrar Ahmed was trapped lbw for a golden duck.
Pakistan managed to cross the 100-run mark in 16.1 overs, but the outcome was never in doubt. Hardik Pandya completed the formalities, cleaning up the tail to bowl Pakistan out for 114 in 18 overs.
Axar Patel was the pick of the bowlers with 2/29 in four overs. Hardik Pandya (2/16), Jasprit Bumrah (2/17) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/17) also claimed two wickets each in a dominant team performance.
With three wins in three matches, India remain at the top of Group A. Pakistan, with two wins and one loss, are placed third, while USA occupy second place with two wins and two defeats.
Brief Scores: India 175/7 (Ishan Kishan 77, Suryakumar Yadav 32, Saim Ayub 3/25) vs Pakistan 114 (Usman Khan 44, Shaheen Afridi 23*, Axar Patel 2/29).
Suryakumar Hails Ishan’s Responsible 77, Says India Were 15-20 Runs Above Par Against Pakistan
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav praised Ishan Kishan’s “responsible” yet aggressive knock following India’s 61-run victory over Pakistan, saying the Men in Blue posted a total that was “15-20 runs above par” on a challenging surface.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Suryakumar said, “This is for India. We played the same brand of cricket we wanted to play. The way Ishan batted, he batted the same way (he has been batting in the last few games and domestic cricket). Ishan thought something out of the box. At 0-1, someone needed to take responsibility and he did that amazingly.”
The Indian skipper admitted that the team briefly lost momentum in the middle overs, slipping to 126/4 in the 15th over after losing Tilak Varma (25 off 24 balls) and Hardik Pandya for a duck. However, he credited Tilak for holding one end steady and acknowledged the finishing efforts of Dube and Rinku Singh, who remained unbeaten on 11 off just four balls, including a four and a six.
“As soon as we reached 175, we thought it was 15-20 runs over par. 155, it would have been a very tight game. Hardik took the new ball, taking charge. (Jasprit) Bumrah then showed why he is the best in the world. It was great to see everyone contributing. (On how they intend to keep this run going) We’ll think about that tomorrow. We go back, have some good time together as a team (tonight) and think about that when we reach Ahmedabad (for the Netherlands clash on February 18),” he concluded.
India Rocked It: Sachin, Sehwag Laud Men In Blue After Emphatic Win Over Pakistan In T20 World Cup
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar hailed India’s dominant performance against Pakistan in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Group A clash, praising the team’s control in the powerplay and their clinical execution with both bat and ball.
Reacting to the win on X, Tendulkar highlighted how India seized control early in the contest. “The powerplay was where India took the game away from them. Ishan Kishan in the first innings, and the clinical bowling we saw in the second innings, made all the difference. We were always in the driver’s seat. India rocked it tonight,” Tendulkar wrote on X.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag also shared his thoughts on the one-sided encounter, singling out Ishan Kishan for his match-defining innings. Taking to X, Sehwag wrote, “Ishan Kishan played like a real Dhurandhar. Among all minnows Pakistan looked like the easiest to beat for Bharat because of their 17th century approach to T-20 cricket, and they have taken a proper beating as usual. Full kambal kuttai.”
With this emphatic win, India now lead Pakistan 8-1 in T20 World Cup meetings.
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