Ishan Kishan scored a brilliant 77 runs and Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling helped India secure a convincing 61-run win over Pakistan in their T20 World Cup Super Eight match at Colombo’s Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
India batted first and set a total of 175 for seven. Kishan played powerfully, scoring 77 off 40 balls, with 12 sixes. Tilak Varma added 11 runs in a second-wicket partnership of 87. Captain Suryakumar Yadav scored 32 off 28 balls, and Shivam Dube contributed 27 off 17 balls to push India past 170. Kishan’s performance was impressive on a slow pitch against strong bowling.
In response to a target of 176, Pakistan quickly ran into trouble. Hardik Pandya took two wickets for 16 runs in the first over, dismissing Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub. Bumrah followed suit, taking two wickets for 17 runs, dismissing Ayub and Salman Ali Agha, which left Pakistan struggling at 13 for three. Babar Azam’s attempt at a slog sweep off Axar Patel resulted in his stumps being shattered, leaving Pakistan at 34 for four during the Powerplay.
India’s spinners, including Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Tilak Varma, and Varun Chakravarthy, kept up the pressure throughout the middle overs, preventing Pakistan from forming any partnerships. Despite some resistance from Georgia Wareham and Nicola Carey, Pakistan was bowled out for 114.
This convincing win boosted India’s confidence for the upcoming Super Eight matches, reinforcing their strong record against Pakistan in T20 World Cups, now standing at 8-1. With dynamic batting and sharp bowling, India effectively asserted their strength against their rivals in this crucial matchup.
