Team India routed Pakistan by 61-run at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday in their Group A engagement between the arch-rivals in the ongoing edition of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 to secure their berth
in the Super 8 phase of the biennial spectacle.
The men in blue managed to post a total of 175 runs riding on Ishan Kishan’s brilliant half-century before India completed the job with the ball in hand to bundle out the chasing Pakistan to just 114 runs to extend their record over the noisy neighbours.
Legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to express his delight with the win and shed light on the jucture that proved crucial in the outcome.
“The powerplay was where India took the game away from them,” the former Indian batter said.
“Ishan Kishan in the first innings, and the clinical bowling we saw in the second innings, made all the difference,” the 52-year-old continued.
“We were always in the driver’s seat. India rocked it tonight,” the Master Blaster added.
Kishan led the scoring for the holders with an swashbuckling knock, before skipper Suryakumar Yadav contributed 32 runs off 29 balls. All-rounder Shivam Dube added 27 runs to India’s total. Saim Ayub excelled with the ball for Pakistan, picking up 3 wickets for 25 runs. PAK skipper Salman Ali Agha and Usman Tariq each claimed a wicket, aiding in the dismantling of the Pakistani batting line-up.
Usman Khan was Pakistan’s top-scorer with a 44-run knock off 34 balls, while Shaheen Shah Afridi’s unbeaten 23 runs off 19 deliveries helped Pakistan reach a triple-digit score. However, the outcome was never in doubt.
The triumph proved to be India’s third consecutive win in the ongoing edition of the ICC spectacle, following their victories over the USA and Namibia. India secured their place in the next round of the biennial competition and look to win the premier tournament of the shortest format on home soil.
