Cricket’s biggest rivalry delivered another thrilling chapter as India beat Pakistan at the R.Premadasa Stadium. In front of 35,000 fans, India scored 175/7 before bowling out Pakistan for just 114 runs.
The 61-run win is India’s biggest victory over Pakistan in T20 cricket and takes their T20 World Cup record against Pakistan to 8-1. Ishan Kishan’s amazing 77 off 40 balls on a difficult pitch gave India a strong total, while bowlers Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah led the team to a complete win that put India through to the Super 8 stage.
Match Summary
India delivered a commanding performance to defeat Pakistan by 61 runs in the 27th Match of ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Powered by Ishan Kishan’s explosive 77 off 40 balls and a clinical bowling display, India sealed a dominant victory.
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | 27th Match, Group A |
| Date | Sunday, February 15, 2026 |
| Venue | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo |
| Toss | Pakistan won and elected to field |
| Result | India won by 61 runs |
| Player of the Match | Ishan Kishan (77 off 40 balls) |
Ishan Kishan’s Match-Winning Knock
India’s innings started poorly with Abhishek Sharma dismissed for a golden duck in the first over. However, Ishan Kishan launched a devastating counter-attack that changed the game.
On a difficult pitch, Kishan made batting look effortless with 77 runs off just 40 deliveries, including 10 fours and 3 sixes at a strike rate of 192.50. His fifty came in only 27 balls, and he dominated a crucial 50-run partnership with Tilak Varma in just 30 deliveries. By the time Saim Ayub dismissed him in the 9th over, Kishan had scored 76 of the 87 runs in their partnership.
India’s Middle Order Contribution
After Kishan’s dismissal, India’s middle order slowed against Pakistan’s spinners. Tilak Varma scored 25 and Suryakumar Yadav added 32, while Hardik Pandya fell for a duck as Saim Ayub threatened a hat-trick.
Late contributions from Shivam Dube (27*) and Rinku Singh (11 off 4) pushed India to 175/7. Ayub was the standout bowler with 3/25, while Shaheen Afridi, Salman Agha and Usman Tariq took one wicket each.
India Batting Summary
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ishan Kishan | 77 | 40 | 10 | 3 | 192.50 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 32 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 110.34 |
| Shivam Dube | 27* | 17 | 3 | 1 | 158.82 |
| Tilak Varma | 25 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 104.17 |
| Rinku Singh | 11* | 4 | 1 | 2 | 275.00 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Pakistan Bowling Summary
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saim Ayub | 4 | 25 | 3 | 6.25 |
| Shaheen Afridi | 4 | 45 | 1 | 11.25 |
| Usman Tariq | 4 | 24 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Salman Agha | 2 | 13 | 1 | 6.50 |
| Abrar Ahmed | 4 | 38 | 0 | 9.50 |
| Shadab Khan | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10.00 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16.00 |
Pakistan’s Chase Falls Apart
Chasing 176, Pakistan collapsed early as Hardik Pandya removed Sahibzada Farhan first ball and Jasprit Bumrah struck twice to leave them 13/3 in the powerplay. Babar Azam managed just 5 as the score slipped to 38/4.
Usman Khan counterattacked with 44 off 34 balls, but his dismissal at 73/5 ended hopes of a comeback. Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 114, falling 61 runs short despite Shaheen Afridi’s unbeaten 23.
India’s Clinical Bowling
India dominated with the ball after posting 175. Hardik Pandya (2/16) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/17) removed the top order early, while the spinners tightened control in the middle overs. Varun Chakravarthy struck twice in the 16th over to push Pakistan to 97/9, and Pandya finished the job as Pakistan were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs.
Axar Patel took 2/29, with Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Varma adding a wicket each to complete a complete bowling effort.
Pakistan Batting Summary
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usman Khan | 44 | 34 | 6 | 1 | 129.41 |
| Shaheen Afridi | 23* | 19 | 2 | 1 | 121.05 |
| Shadab Khan | 14 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 93.33 |
| Faheem Ashraf | 10 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 71.43 |
| Saim Ayub | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Babar Azam | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 62.50 |
| Salman Agha | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Sahibzada Farhan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Abrar Ahmed | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Usman Tariq | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
India Bowling Summary
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardik Pandya | 3 | 16 | 2 | 5.33 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 4 | 17 | 2 | 4.25 |
| Varun Chakravarthy | 4 | 17 | 2 | 4.25 |
| Axar Patel | 4 | 29 | 2 | 7.25 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 2 | 21 | 1 | 10.50 |
| Tilak Varma | 1 | 10 | 1 | 10.00 |
Also Read:
India Seals Super 8 Spot with Dominant Win
With this commanding 61-run win, India stormed into the Super 8 stage after registering their third straight victory, sitting comfortably at the top of Group A with six points and an unbeaten record.
Pakistan, meanwhile, faces a must-win clash against Namibia to keep their qualification hopes alive. The emphatic margin, India’s biggest-ever T20I win over Pakistan, further underlines their dominance in T20 World Cups and sets the tone for a strong title push ahead.
