India secured a massive 61-run victory over Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium. This T20 World Cup 2026 group stage match took place on February 15, 2026. After India lost Abhishek Sharma for a duck, Ishan Kishan set the stadium on fire. He smashed a quick-fire 77 off just 40 deliveries.
India Crush Pakistan in Colombo
Kishan tore apart the bowling attack with pure aggression. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with a steady 32. This helped the team stay on track on a surface that gave the spinners plenty of grip. Even though Saim Ayub threatened a collapse with three wickets, India still finished with a strong 175 for seven.
1. The Spin Trap and Middle-Order Chaos
Pakistan couldn't find any rhythm against Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy during the middle overs. Usman Khan fought hard for his 44, but he didn't get enough help as the asking rate shot up under the Colombo lights.
Axar Patel got the big wicket of Babar Azam early on. This blow really hurt Pakistan's chances. The Indian spinners used the sticky pitch perfectly. Kuldeep Yadav also played his part to make sure there were no late surprises.
2. Pace Precision and Statistical Supremacy
Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya shared four wickets and kept things very tight. They put on a clinic in defensive bowling. Bumrah kept hitting the deck hard. He sent back key batters just as they tried to up the ante.
As a result, India bowled Pakistan out for 114 in 18 overs. This gave India their biggest-ever T20 win over their rivals in terms of runs. This result took India’s T20 World Cup record against Pakistan to 8–1. They officially moved into the Super Eight stage.
The Road Ahead
India entered the next round with a ton of confidence. On the flip side, Pakistan had to hope other match results went their way to stay in the tournament. Salman Ali Agha said after the game that his bowlers just didn't hit their marks in the final overs.
The win showed how much talent India has. Ishan Kishan stepped up big time when the regular openers couldn't get going. Fans then looked forward to seeing how both teams changed things up as the tournament hit the knockout rounds.
