Ishan Kishan lit up the R. Premadasa Stadium with a blistering 77 before India’s bowlers delivered a ruthless follow-up, bundling out Pakistan for 114 to seal a commanding 61-run victory in their T20 World Cup 2026 clash on Sunday.
On a surface that demanded early intent, Kishan provided exactly that. The left-hander tore into the new ball, striking 10 fours and three sixes in a 40-ball assault that ensured India never ceded momentum. His calculated aggression in the Powerplay allowed India to absorb a mid-innings slowdown without panic.
Pakistan, despite Saim Ayub’s tidy spell of 3 for 25, never quite wrested control. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav added a steady 57 runs between them through the middle overs — not explosive, but sufficient — as India posted 175 for 7. It was a total built on a strong base rather than late fireworks.
If Kishan dictated terms with the bat, India’s quicks snuffed out any hope of a chase almost immediately.
Hardik Pandya struck in the first over, removing Sahibzada Farhan with a hard-length delivery that climbed awkwardly. Jasprit Bumrah then turned the screw. After being lofted for six off his opening ball, he responded with a searing inswinging yorker to dismiss Saim Ayub and later sent back skipper Salman Agha in the same over — a burst that jolted Pakistan’s chase.
Usman Khan attempted resistance with a 44-run knock, stitching together modest partnerships with Babar Azam and Shadab Khan, but the support was fleeting. Axar Patel removed Babar cheaply and later accounted for Usman, while Kuldeep Yadav cleaned up Mohammad Nawaz. Tilak Varma, bowling his first over of the tournament, chipped in with the wicket of Shadab.
From there, it unravelled swiftly. Pakistan lost their last five wickets for 41 runs, folding in 18 overs as India tightened their grip on the group.
Brief scores: India 175/7 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 77, Suryakumar Yadav 32; Saim Ayub 3-25) beat Pakistan 114 all out in 18 overs (Usman Khan 44; Hardik Pandya 2-16, Varun Chakravarthy 2-17) by 61 runs.
