Ishan Kishan scored 77 runs and Jasprit Bumrah excelled with ball as India secured a notable 61-run win over Pakistan in their final group-stage match, advancing to the T20 World Cup Super Eight stage at Colombo’s Premadasa Stadium on Sunday. The match was largely one-sided, thrilling the energetic crowd.
India batted first and set a total of 175 for seven. Kishan played remarkably, hitting 77 runs off 40 balls, with 12 sixes. Tilak Varma added 11 runs in a strong second-wicket partnership of 87. Captain Suryakumar Yadav scored 32 off 28 balls, while Shivam Dube contributed 27 runs off 17 balls, helping India surpass 170 runs. Kishan’s performance was impressive, demonstrating his skill even on a challenging pitch.
In response, Pakistan struggled from the start. Hardik Pandya (2/16) took two wickets in his first over, dismissing Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub. Bumrah (2/17) followed up by eliminating Ayub and Salman Ali Agha, leaving Pakistan in trouble at 13 for three. Babar Azam’s slog sweep attempt off Axar Patel resulted in his wicket, reducing Pakistan to 34 for four during the Powerplay.
India’s spin bowlers – Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Tilak Varma, and Varun Chakravarthy – executed tight bowling during the middle overs, preventing Pakistan from building partnerships. Although Georgia Wareham and Nicola Carey fought to resist, Pakistan’s innings lost energy, and they were ultimately bowled out for 114.
