India Crush Pakistan by 61 Runs To Seal Super 8 Berth In T20 World Cup 2026, Ishan Kishan’s 77 Powers Victory
India continued their unbeaten run against Pakistan in T20 World Cup history, registering a comprehensive 61-run victory at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday (Feb 15). The clash, played amid political tensions and boycott threats, saw India maintain their flawless record against their arch-rivals in the tournament, extending their winning streak to 11 consecutive matches. The triumph also ensured India’s qualification for the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup.
India Demolish Pakistan In Colombo
In what turned out to be a lopsided encounter, India’s bowling attack successfully defended a total of 175 runs, dismissing Pakistan for just 114 in 18 overs. Merely four Pakistani batsmen managed to reach double figures as India delivered a dominant performance across all departments. Usman Khan top-scored for Pakistan with 44, while Shadab Khan (14), Shaheen Afridi (23) and Faheem Ashraf (10) were the only other contributors with double-digit scores. India’s bowlers were clinical, with Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy each claiming two wickets.
How India’s Batting Unfolded
Opting to bat first, India suffered an early setback, losing Abhishek Sharma for a duck in the opening over. Ishan Kishan (77 off 40) then took charge, forging an 87-run partnership for the second wicket alongside Tilak Varma (25) to stabilize the innings. Kishan dominated the stand with an explosive knock of 77, which featured 10 boundaries and 3 sixes, providing India with crucial momentum after the early blow.
Following Kishan’s departure, skipper Suryakumar Yadav contributed 32 runs to keep the innings progressing before India suffered quick dismissals of Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya (0). Pakistan staged a late fightback to limit India to 175/7 in their full quota of 20 overs. Notably, Pakistan deployed spinners for 18 overs during the innings, establishing a new record in T20I cricket.
India will next face the Netherlands on Wednesday (Feb 18) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in their final group stage fixture. Pakistan, meanwhile, will take on Namibia on the same day.