India secured a commanding 61-run victory over Pakistan, powered by a superb 77 off 40 balls from Ishan Kishan on a slow, spin-friendly pitch at the R Premadasa Stadium. The win confirmed India’s place in the Super Eights and improved their head-to-head record against Pakistan in T20 World Cups to 8-1.
Pakistan chose to bowl first and relied heavily on spin, sending down 18 overs of it as the surface offered turn and grip from the start. Their plan worked early when Salman Agha dismissed Abhishek Sharma for a duck, but Kishan quickly took control. He attacked both pace and spin with confidence, using his quick hands to play the pull, sweep and lofted drives effectively despite the difficult conditions.
While the rest of the Indian batters struggled to score freely, Kishan dominated the powerplay and kept the scoreboard moving. He reached his fifty in just 27 balls and had scored 77 out of India’s first 88 runs before Saim Ayub finally dismissed him. His innings proved to be the difference, as no other batter managed to score at the same tempo on the tacky pitch. Suryakumar Yadav added a steady 32, and late contributions from Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh helped India reach 175 for 7, a total that looked well above par.
Pakistan’s chase never gained momentum. Hardik Pandya struck in the opening over, and Jasprit Bumrah followed with a wicket-maiden that removed Saim Ayub and Salman Agha. Babar Azam fell soon after to Axar Patel, leaving Pakistan in deep trouble at 34 for 4 inside five overs.
Usman Khan provided the only real resistance with a fluent 44 off 34 balls, briefly counterattacking the spinners and hitting Axar for multiple boundaries. However, Axar had the final say by dismissing him when he charged down the pitch, with Kishan completing the catch. From there, Pakistan’s lower order folded under disciplined bowling from Bumrah, Hardik, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar, each picking up two wickets.
Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 114, handing India their biggest T20I win over their rivals. Kishan’s outstanding knock stood out as the match-defining performance on a pitch where scoring was otherwise difficult, highlighting his ability to adapt and dominate in challenging conditions.
