India Crushes Pakistan by 61 Runs; Qualifies for Super 8s

In a clinical display of power-hitting and disciplined bowling, India defeated Pakistan by 61 runs in their Group A clash of the 2026 T20 World Cup at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday, February 15. With this win, India remains unbeaten in the tournament and has officially secured a spot in the Super 8 stage, while extending their T20 World Cup head-to-head dominance over Pakistan to 8-1.

The Kishan Carnage

After being put in to bat on a sluggish, spin-friendly surface, India posted a formidable 175/7.

• Player of the Match: Ishan Kishan was the architect of the Indian innings, smashing a breathtaking 77 off 40 balls (10 fours, 3 sixes). He surpassed Gautam Gambhir’s 75 to record the fourth-highest individual score in Ind-Pak T20 history.
• Middle Order Support: Despite the early loss of Abhishek Sharma (0), Kishan anchored an 87-run stand with Tilak Varma (25). Captain Suryakumar Yadav (32) and Shivam Dube (27) provided crucial contributions to push the total past 170.
• Pakistan’s Bowling: Saim Ayub was the standout for Pakistan, taking 3/25, including a double-strike that removed Kishan and Hardik Pandya on successive deliveries.

Pakistan’s Batting Collapse

Chasing 176, Pakistan’s innings never found momentum, eventually folding for 114 in 18 overs.

• Top Order Failure: Pakistan suffered a “nightmare start,” collapsing to 13/3 in the first two overs. Hardik Pandya started with a wicket-maiden, removing Sahibzada Farhan (0), while Jasprit Bumrah struck twice in the second over to dismiss Saim Ayub and Captain Salman Ali Agha.
• Lone Resistance: Usman Khan was the only Pakistan batter to offer a fight, top-scoring with 44.
• The Spin Trap: Once the pacers did the damage, the Indian spinners took over. Axar Patel (2/29) removed the dangerous Babar Azam and Usman Khan, while Varun Chakaravarthy (2/17) cleaned up the tail, narrowly missing a hat-trick.

Match Summary & Points Table

Result: India won by 61 runs.

With this defeat, Pakistan has slipped to third place in Group A, trailing behind the USA on Net Run Rate (NRR). Their path to the Super 8s now depends on other results and a mandatory win in their final group fixture.