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Pakistan teammates during the mid-innings break against India in T20 World Cup clash in Colombo on February 15, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS
COLOMBO:
Pakistan’s long-standing World Cup woes against India continued on Sunday, as the team suffered a heavy 61-run defeat in a high-pressure Group A Twenty20 clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in the Sri Lankan capital.
Chasing a target of 176, the Pakistani batting line-up collapsed to 114 all out in just 18 overs, with the top four batsmen failing to deliver under intense pressure.
The fixture, initially under threat of boycott after Pakistan had expressed solidarity with Bangladesh over safety concerns, was confirmed only last week following ICC intervention.
The match reignited familiar intensity of the India-Pakistan rivalry, with Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav again refusing to shake hands with Pakistan’s Salman Agha at the toss, repeating a pattern seen during last year’s Asia Cup.
Batting first on Pakistan’s invitation, India posted 175-7, largely thanks to opener Ishan Kishan’s blistering 77 off 40 balls, including three sixes and ten fours. Despite the early loss of Abhishek Sharma, who returned to the side after a stomach infection but fell for a duck to Agha, India recovered through contributions from Suryakumar Yadav (32) and Shivam Dube (27). Pakistan spinner Saim Ayub provided resistance, removing Kishan, Tilak Varma, and Hardik Pandya in successive deliveries, momentarily slowing India’s momentum.
In reply, Pakistan suffered an immediate and devastating collapse. Opener Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed for a duck by Pandya, followed by Saim Ayub and Salman Agha in the same over, reducing the team to 13-3. Babar Azam managed just five runs before falling to Axar Patel, leaving Pakistan reeling at 38-4 after the powerplay.
Usman Khan offered some resistance with 44 runs off 34 balls, hitting one six and six fours, but was eventually stumped by Kishan off Patel. A mini-collapse followed, with Shadab Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, and others falling cheaply, leaving Pakistan bowled out for 114.
Shaheen Shah Afridi remained not out on 23, but the damage was already done. Pandya, Bumrah, Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy each took two wickets, with India’s bowlers consistently preventing Pakistan from recovering.
The loss extends India’s World Cup dominance over Pakistan: India has now won eight of nine T20 World Cup encounters and all eight ODI World Cup matches between the rivals. Pakistan, who had also lost all three Asia Cup encounters against India last year, will now need to defeat Namibia in their final group match to maintain hopes of progression.
Speaking after the match, Suryakumar Yadav reflected on Kishan’s performance: “I think this is for India. Batting first was the better option on this wicket. The way Ishan took responsibility after the early loss of his opening partner was amazing.”
For Pakistan, captain Salman Agha said at the toss that the decision to bowl first was guided by the slightly tacky pitch, which he expected to assist bowlers early on. “It is a big game, but everyone is relaxed and focused, and we are looking forward to the challenge,” he said.
Matches between the cricketing neighbours, who are nuclear-armed rivals, take place only at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments, with more than 18 years having passed since a Test match and 13 years since a bilateral series. This latest contest in Colombo once again captured global attention, blending sport, emotion, and high stakes in equal measure.
(WITH INPUT FROM AGENCIES)
