India delivered a commanding all-round performance to defeat Pakistan by 61 runs in their high-voltage group-stage encounter of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday, booking their place in the Super Eights.
Chasing a challenging target of 176, Pakistan’s batting line-up crumbled under sustained pressure and was bowled out for 114 in 18 overs.
The collapse was triggered early by India’s pace attack as Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya tore through the top order inside the first two overs.
Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub and captain Salman Ali Agha were all dismissed cheaply, leaving Pakistan reeling at 13/3.
Wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan attempted to steady the innings and emerged as Pakistan’s top-scorer with a fighting 44 off 34 balls, including six fours and a six.
He shared brief partnerships with Babar Azam and Shadab Khan, but regular wickets ensured Pakistan never gained momentum.
Once Usman was dismissed by Axar Patel, the innings folded rapidly, with Varun Chakravarthy striking twice and Pandya cleaning up the tail.
Earlier, Pakistan’s decision to field first did not yield the desired results as India posted a competitive 175/7.
India had an early setback when Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a duck, but opener Ishan Kishan led a blistering recovery.
Kishan smashed a superb 77 off 40 deliveries, featuring ten fours and three sixes, and added 87 runs for the second wicket with Tilak Varma.
After Kishan’s dismissal, Varma and skipper Suryakumar Yadav consolidated the innings, while late contributions from Shivam Dube ensured India finished strongly.
For Pakistan, Saim Ayub stood out with the ball, claiming three wickets for 25 runs, but the overall bowling effort lacked consistency.
The emphatic win underlined India’s dominance in the tournament and intensified scrutiny on Pakistan’s senior players as they face growing pressure following another heavy defeat to their arch-rivals.