In a dominant display at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, India crushed Pakistan by 61 runs in the 27th match of the T20 World Cup 2026. Captain Suryakumar Yadav heaped praise on Player of the Match Ishan Kishan, who smashed 77 runs off just 40 balls, including 3 sixes and 10 fours, steering the team out of trouble after an early wicket fell for just 1 run.
India posted 175 for 7 in their 20 overs, a total that proved too steep for Pakistan, who folded for 114 in 18 overs. Suryakumar reflected on the innings, saying, ‘This is a victory for the entire nation. We played the cricket we wanted to. Ishan’s batting was exactly the style he’s shown in recent games and domestic cricket. When we lost our first wicket at 1 run, someone had to take responsibility, and Ishan did it brilliantly.’
Tilak Varma contributed 25 runs and snared a wicket, while Shivam Dube blasted 27 off 17 balls with a six and three fours. Rinku Singh added a quick 11 off 4 balls. Suryakumar noted, ‘Even 155 here could have been challenging. Reaching 175 felt like 15-20 runs extra. Hardik Pandya took charge with the new ball, and Jasprit Bumrah proved why he’s the world’s best bowler.’
With this third consecutive win, India has qualified for the Super-8 stage. They’ll face Netherlands on February 18 before heading to Ahmedabad for strategy sessions. Celebrating on X, Suryakumar posted match photos with ‘Har Har Mahadev.’ This win underscores India’s depth and resilience in the tournament.