At the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, India performed a flawless game against Pakistan and won by 61 runs on Sunday, 15th February 2026. India absolutely dominated Pakistan with a crushing 8-1 victory, officially punching their ticket to the Super 8 stage of the Tournament.
1st Innings: India’s Batting
After winning the toss, Pakistan elected to bowl first, and India was confronted with an immediate difficulty as World No. 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma got out for a duck in the very first over. Nevertheless, opening batsman Ishan Kishan shortly changed the scenario with a stunning 77 from only 40 balls, a knock which included 10 fours and 3 sixes.
Key Batting Contributions for India:
- Ishan Kishan: 77 (40 balls).
- Suryakumar Yadav: 32 (29 balls).
- Shivam Dube: 27 (17 balls).
- Tilak Varma: 25 (24 balls).
India managed to post a competitive total of 175/7 despite mid-innings fightback by Pakistan spinner Saim Ayub, in particular, who took 3 for 25.
2nd Inning: India’s Bowling Attack
Pakistan’s reply was off to a dreadful start as it never regained momentum after losing early wickets to India’s pace attack.
Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya each got a wicket in the first over which resulted in Pakistan losing three wickets and getting 13 runs only after two overs.
In a situation where the entire batting order had difficulites and in the face of a very focused Indian bowling unit that made excellent use of a turning and sticky Colombo pitch, only Usman Khan was able to put up resistance by scoring 44 runs. In the end, Pakistan was out for 114 in 18 overs.
Top Bowling Performances:
- Hardik Pandya: 2/16.
- Jasprit Bumrah: 2/17.
- Varun Chakravarthy: 2/17.
- Axar Patel: 2/29.
Rivalry OR One-Sided Dominance
This victory made it India’s eighth win out of nine games against Pakistan throughout T20 World Cup history. The game also had a tense atmosphere because the two captains, Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha did not shake hands at the toss.
Player of the Match: Ishan Kishan
Summary of India’s 8 T20 World Cup Victories:
| Year | Result | Key Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 (Group) | India won via Bowl-out | Match tied (141/9 vs 141/7); India won 3-0 in the bowl-out. |
| 2007 (Final) | India won by 5 runs | Gautam Gambhir’s 75 and Irfan Pathan’s 3-16 secured the inaugural title. |
| 2012 | India won by 8 wickets | Pakistan folded for 128; Virat Kohli anchored the chase with an unbeaten 78. |
| 2014 | India won by 7 wickets | Restricted Pakistan to 130/7; India chased it down comfortably with 9 balls to spare. |
| 2016 | India won by 6 wickets | In a rain-curtailed match at Eden Gardens, Kohli’s 55* guided India to victory. |
| 2022 | India won by 4 wickets | A historic chase at the MCG led by Virat Kohli’s legendary 82* off 53 balls. |
| 2024 | India won by 6 runs | Defended a low total of 119; Jasprit Bumrah’s 3-14 stifled Pakistan to 113/7. |
| 2026 | India won by 61 runs | India’s biggest T20I win by runs vs Pakistan; Ishan Kishan hit 77 off 40 balls in Colombo. |
Historical Context
- The Only Loss (2021): Pakistan’s sole victory in this tournament came in Dubai, where they won by 10 wickets chasing 152.
- Recent Dominance: Following the latest win on February 15, 2026, India has now won six consecutive T20Is against Pakistan.
- Overall ICC Records: In addition to this 8-1 T20 record, India maintains a perfect 8-0 record against Pakistan in 50-over ODI World Cups.
Next in Tournament
India, who are currently at the top of Group A with a flawless record of three wins from three games, will step onto the field against the Netherlands next Wednesday. Pakistan, now third in the group and behind the USA on net run rate, is in a dire situation and must win their last group match against Namibia if they want to advance to the Super 8 stage.
