The hype was deafening, but the contest was a demolition. India maintained their iron grip over their arch-rivals in ICC events, delivering a crushing 61-run defeat to Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Chasing a target of 176, Pakistan crumbled under the lights, bundled out for just 114 in 18 overs.
The victory was set up by Ishan Kishan, whose fearless 77 off 40 balls earned him the Player of the Match award, and sealed by a ruthless bowling display that dismantled the Pakistan lineup inside the Powerplay.
The Ishan Kishan Show
After being asked to bat first on a “tacky” surface, India lost opener Abhishek Sharma for a duck in the first over. It was the perfect start for Pakistan, but Ishan Kishan had other plans.
The wicketkeeper-batter launched a ferocious counter-attack, smashing Shaheen Afridi out of the attack and dominating the spinners. His 77 (40 balls) was the difference between the two sides, propelling India to 175/7, a total that proved far beyond Pakistan’s reach.
The Powerplay: Pace Like Fire
The chase was effectively over in the first 15 minutes. India’s pace duo of Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah produced a devastating opening spell.
Hardik Pandya started with a Wicket Maiden, bouncing out Sahibzada Farhan for a duck. Jasprit Bumrah then trapped Saim Ayub (6) LBW and induced a leading edge from captain Salman Agha (4) in the same over. Axar Patel then castled Babar Azam (5) with a slider.
By the end of the Powerplay, Pakistan was reeling at 38/4.
The Collapse
While Usman Khan offered brief resistance with a fighting 44 (34), the introduction of spin in the middle overs turned the procession into a collapse.
Varun Chakaravarthy (2/17) and Kuldeep Yadav (1/14) suffocated the middle order. The match became so one-sided that Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav even bowled Rinku Singh for an over. Hardik Pandya eventually returned to clean up the tail, castling Usman Tariq to end the match in the 18th over.
- Result: India won by 61 runs.
- Player of the Match: Ishan Kishan (77 runs).
This loss sends Pakistan’s Net Run Rate crashing below that of the USA. They now face a must-win game in the T20 World Cup 2026 against Namibia to qualify for the Super 8s, with their destiny potentially no longer in their own hands.
