India’s Tilak Varma praised Ishan Kishan’s aggressive batting during the T20 World Cup match against Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday. Kishan’s powerful start was key in giving India an advantage, even after Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a duck.
Despite the early loss, Kishan kept attacking, hitting a six over mid-wicket against Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi. He then targeted spinners like Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan, making it clear he planned to take control during the Powerplay.
Tilak Varma, batting at No. 3, played a supportive role while Kishan took charge, building momentum on a challenging pitch. Kishan scored 42 runs out of India’s 52 during the first six overs, with 32 coming from boundaries.
Tilak mentioned that the scoring was easier in the beginning, and Kishan’s intent was crucial in laying a strong foundation for a competitive total of 175.
“The powerplay was slightly easier for batting. Still, the way Ishan played, I felt I wasn’t getting the strike. I thought he was doing well for the team, so I said to him, ‘Keep going. If a wicket falls at the other end, I will handle it and rotate the strike,’” he said, as quoted by the Indian Express.
Kishan’s aggressive play continued beyond the Powerplay as he sustained the innings through the middle overs. His 77 runs off 44 balls earned him the Player of the Match title and helped India set their highest total against Pakistan in T20 World Cups.
Pakistan struggled in response, losing early wickets and eventually being bowled out for 114 runs in just 18 overs. This marked their lowest ever total against India in T20 World Cup history.
After the match, Kishan spoke about the need for clarity and confidence in such conditions.
“The wicket wasn’t easy. You have to trust your strengths. I focused on just watching the ball and maximizing runs. I worked hard on my off-side game to manipulate the bowling. A big ground makes for bigger gaps, and I aimed to exploit that,” he said.
