T20 World Cup: India bowl out Pakistan to seal 61-run victory
Pakistan's captain Salman Agha walks back to the pavilion after his dismissal Guest during the 2026 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup group stage match between India and Pakistan at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 15, 2026. Photo: AFP
Defending champions India put on a dominant display against arch-rivals Pakistan in their T20 World Cup clash, winning the match by 61 runs and leading the points table in the group.
Pakistan’s start was even worse than their rivals’, as Sahibzada Farhan, the team’s most promising batter in recent times, fell for a duck in the very first over to Hardik Pandya.
Ayub, who had taken three wickets earlier, attempted to make an impact with the bat by hitting a six off Jasprit Bumrah but was dismissed LBW by India’s ace bowler on the very next delivery.
The woes continued as captain Salman Ali Agha was also dismissed in the same over after striking a boundary, leaving Pakistan reeling at 13 for three.
Axar Patel struck a decisive blow to Pakistan as he bowled out Babar Azam for a mere five runs off seven deliveries.
After a flurry of wickets, Usman Khan was joined by Shadab Khan, and together they stemmed the collapse, taking the score to 73. Usman looked the only settled batter in the innings, playing a useful 44 off 34 balls. As he attempted to accelerate, he was undone by Patel, and Kishan made no mistake behind the stumps.
Nawaz’s stay was short-lived, as he was holed out in the deep attempting to play a low full toss from Kuldeep Yadav, while Shadab Khan also fell for 14 off 15 balls, leaving Pakistan at 86-7.
Faheem Ashraf, who played a match-winning knock against the Netherlands, also failed to make an impact and fell for 10 off 14 balls, while Abrar was dismissed on the very first ball by Varun Chakravarthy, delivering a double blow to Pakistan.
Shaheen, Pakistan’s second-best batter after Usman, scored 23 off 19 balls to help his side cross the hundred-run mark, but the Green Shirts were eventually bowled out for 114 as India sealed a 61-run victory.
Pakistan’s flop batting performance was evident as seven batters failed to reach double figures.
Ishan Kishan was named Player of the Match for his 40-ball 77-run knock.
Now, Pakistan will face Namibia on Wednesday, while India will play the Netherlands the same day, with the top two teams advancing to the Super Eight round
Pakistan are set a target of 176 🎯@SaimAyub7 was the most prolific bowler in the first innings, snapping up three wickets ☄️#PAKvIND | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #T20WorldCup | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/tneH8TjLm3
Earlier, Ishan Kishan’s blistering 77 off 40 balls helped India post a competitive 175-7.
Pakistan captain Agha won the toss and opted to bowl first at the R Premadasa Stadium as cricket’s fiercest rivals met in a high-voltage group-stage encounter.
Pakistan made the ideal start when Agha removed the dangerous Abhishek Sharma for a duck in the opening over.
Skipper strikes in the first over of the match! ⚡#PAKvIND | #BackTheBoysInGreen | #T20WorldCup | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/86OeBuHIOv
However, Kishan responded aggressively. The left-hander took on Shaheen Shah Afridi, plundering 15 runs off his first over to shift the momentum. Maintaining a strike rate close to 200, Kishan raced to his half-century in just 27 deliveries.
Spinner Abrar Ahmed bore the brunt of the assault, while Shadab Khan also proved expensive as India kept the scoreboard ticking. Kishan dominated the second-wicket stand, scoring the bulk of the runs before eventually falling for 77, an innings studded with 10 boundaries and three sixes.
Tilak Varma and captain Suryakumar Yadav then added 38 runs for the third wicket to take the total to 126 before Saim Ayub struck twice in successive deliveries, dismissing Tilak for 25 off 24 balls and removing Hardik Pandya for a duck.
Yadav later found support in Shivam Dube as the pair pushed the score to 159. The Indian skipper made 32 off 29 balls before holing out at deep midwicket, with Ayub involved in the dismissal.
Dube chipped in with a brisk 27 off 17 deliveries, while Rinku Singh’s 11 off four balls provided late impetus, helping India finish on 175 for seven in their allotted 20 overs.
Ayub was the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets for 25 runs in his four overs, while Usman Tariq, Agha and Afridi picked up a wicket each.
After winning the toss, Agha said the decision to bowl first was guided by pitch conditions, describing the surface as slightly tacky and likely to assist bowlers early on. “It is a big game, but everyone is relaxed and focused, and we are looking forward to the challenge,” Salman said at the toss. “This is a bigger ground than the SSC and it is a bit slower as well. We are going in with the same team.”
The contest in Colombo has drawn global attention, with fans and broadcasters bracing for another dramatic chapter in the Pakistan–India rivalry, a fixture that sits at the intersection of sport, emotion and commerce whenever it appears on the international calendar.
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said he was unfazed by losing the toss, insisting his side would have chosen to bat first regardless.
“It is easy to say this is just another game, but this is a high-stakes contest,” said the right-handed batter. “Cricket teaches you many things, and anyone can have a good day.”
India made changes to their playing XI, with Abhishek Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav coming into the side. Suryakumar confirmed that Arshdeep Singh was left out, while suggesting that Sanju Samson could be the other omission.
Historically, India national cricket team have enjoyed the upper hand over Pakistan national cricket team in T20 Internationals, winning 13 of their 16 meetings, with Pakistan managing three victories.
Both teams entered Sunday’s match unbeaten in the group stage, adding further intensity to the encounter. Pakistan recorded victories over the Netherlands and the United States, while India registered wins against the USA and Namibia, setting up a clash that could prove decisive in shaping the group standings of the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan’s bowling attack will be led by pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, supported by all-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz, while spinners Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq are expected to exploit the slower Colombo surface. With the bat, Pakistan will rely on Babar Azam to anchor the innings alongside aggressive openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub.
India, meanwhile, boast a powerful batting lineup featuring Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the pace attack and Varun Chakravarthy providing mystery spin in the middle overs.
With qualification scenarios tightening and pressure mounting, Sunday’s Pakistan vs India clash promised another gripping episode in one of cricket’s most intense rivalries.
Teams
Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed
India XI: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah