Colombo, Feb 15 (.) Ishan Kishan’s explosive innings powered India to a competitive 175 for 7 against Pakistan in the 27th match of Group A at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday, setting up a high-octane clash between the two arch-rivals.
After winning the toss, Pakistan opted to bowl first, but India stumbled early as opener Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a duck, caught by Shaheen Afridi off Salman Agha’s delivery in the opening over. India’s innings, however, found its momentum through Kishan, who unleashed a flurry of attacking strokes, including reverse hits, back-foot drives, and powerful slog-sweeps, amassing 77 runs off just 40 balls with 10 fours and 3 sixes.
Kishan’s aggressive approach was complemented by Tilak Varma, who contributed 25 runs, and Suryakumar Yadav, who added 32 before being caught behind by Saim Ayub off Usman Tariq. Their partnerships helped India recover from early blows and maintain a healthy run rate through the middle overs.
Shivam Dube then accelerated the scoring, hitting 27 off 17 balls, including a six over mid-wicket and a boundary down the ground, putting India in a strong position. Rinku Singh showcased his finishing skills in the final over, striking a four and a six off Shaheen Afridi before Dube was run out in a mix-up, adding drama to the closing stages. Axar Patel was also dismissed off Shaheen Afridi, leaving India’s total at 175 for 7 in 20 overs.
Pakistan’s bowling saw standout performances from Saim Ayub, who took three crucial wickets for 25 runs, while Shaheen Afridi, Salman Agha, and Usman Tariq picked up a wicket each. The innings featured pivotal moments, including a spectacular catch by Saim Ayub to dismiss Axar Patel and a dramatic run-out of Shivam Dube by Mohammad Nawaz and Usman Khan in the 19th over.
Chasing 176, Pakistan lost their opener Sahibzada Farhan for a duck to Hardik Pandya in the fourth ball, leaving them 0-1 in the first over. Saim Ayub and the middle order will now have the task of rebuilding Pakistan’s innings under the mounting pressure of an India-Pakistan encounter, with momentum firmly with the visitors after Kishan’s heroics.
India’s innings was marked by aggressive strokeplay, smart partnerships, and a late flurry of boundaries that ensured a formidable total, while Pakistan will look to their spinners and pace attack to claw back in the run chase.
Umpires for the match are Kumar Dharmasena and Richard Illingworth, with Chris Gaffaney as third umpire and Richie Richardson officiating as match referee.
. . CDS