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IND vs PAK Match: India Enters Super 8 With 61 Run Win

7 Min Read

IND vs PAK Match: The much-anticipated match between IND vs PAK in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is indeed living up to its billing, with India dominating proceedings at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 15, 2026. While chasing 176, Pakistan crumbled under the pressure.

Losing 4 Wickets in the powerplay increased the troubles for Pakistan. India registers their biggest win of the T20 World Cup clash with Pakistan by 61 runs and also posted the highest total of IND vs PAK contest in the history of the T20 World Cup.

Toss Update and Team Changes

Pakistan skipper Salman Agha won the toss and chose to field first in this high-voltage match in Group A.

India Playing XI Changes

Two changes have been made in the Indian Playing XI:

Abhishek Sharma replaces Sanju Samson

Kuldeep Yadav replaces Arshdeep Singh

Pakistan Playing XI

Pakistan chose to retain the same Playing XI for this crucial match in the IND vs PAK series.

A significant moment at the toss caught everyone’s eye as Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav chose not to shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart, a trend that was first seen during their Asia Cup match last year.

India Post Competitive Total of 175/6

After being sent into bat, India managed to reach 175/6 after 20 overs, thus presenting a challenging target in this IND vs PAK Match.

Top Performers for India

Ishan Kishan (77 runs): He played a blistering knock, and his attack from the very beginning took the Pakistani bowlers apart.

Suryakumar Yadav (32 runs): He held the middle overs together with calculated aggression.

Shivam Dube (27 runs): He provided late momentum to the Indian team.

Saim Ayub rescued Pakistan on its way to a stunning comeback when he pulled the game back for Pakistan, who were trailing at 199 with an exceptional performance from him (3/25) just before they crossed into 200 run territory.

While India had their chances late in the innings, 175 runs was a large enough total to give them a chance to win, particularly in the context of an IND vs PAK Match.

Pakistan’s Chase: Collapse Under Pressure

Chasing 176, Pakistan’s innings did not reach stability, with wickets being picked at regular intervals.

Powerplay Disaster: 38/4 in 6 Overs

Pakistan had lost 4 wickets for 38 runs after the powerplay.

Indian bowlers to note:

Jasprit Bumrah- 2 wickets

Hardik Pandya- 1 wicket

Axar Patel- 1 wicket

Early wickets sealed the IND vs PAK match for India.

Resistance from Usman Khan

Pakistan tries to keep the hope alive through Usman Khan and Shadab Khan.

At 8 overs: 57/4

At 9 overs: 66/4

At 10 overs: 71/4

Usman Khan was aggressive in his batting and scored 44 before being dismissed by Axar Patel.

Middle-Order Meltdown

After the dismissal of Usman Khan, the Pakistan innings fell apart. Kuldeep Yadav got the wicket of Mohammad Nawaz. Tilak Varma got the first wicket with his very first ball. Varun Chakravarthy got the wickets of the lower order, including Faheem Ashraf and Abrar.

Early Blow: Salman Agha Removes Abhishek Sharma

India’s innings got off to a shaky start when Pakistan skipper Salman Agha struck in the very first over, dismissing Abhishek Sharma for a duck. The early breakthrough helped Pakistan gain momentum in the crucial India vs Pakistan contest.

2 overs: India 16/1

3 overs: India 25/1

Despite the setback, Ishan Kishan counterattacked aggressively.

Ishan Kishan’s Explosive Powerplay Assault

But Ishan Kishan changed the course of the game with his fearless batting display.

5 overs: India 41/1

6 overs (end of powerplay): India 52/1

Half-century: 50 off just 27 balls

Ishan Kishan was unstoppable against the Pakistan bowling attack, hitting boundaries at his own pace. He was complemented by Tilak Varma, with whom he formed an 81-run partnership in just 42 balls.

9 overs: India 89/2

10 overs: India 92/2

But Pakistan fought back at a crucial juncture.

Saim Ayub’s Double Strike Brings Pakistan Back

Just when India were looking to reach a 200+ score in the IND vs PAK encounter, Saim Ayub struck twice.

Dismissed Ishan Kishan for a brilliant 72 (India 88/2)

Dismissed Tilak Varma for 25 (India 126/3)

Next ball: Hardik Pandya dismissed

The two wickets in two balls swung the proceedings firmly in favor of Pakistan.

12 overs: India 107/2

14 overs: India 125/2

After double strike: Pakistan back in the contest

Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube Steady the Ship

After the collapse, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube steadied the innings.

17 overs: India 140/4

18 overs: India 154/4

Both the batsmen accelerated the scoring rate in the death overs and ensured that the Indian team crossed the 170-run mark. However, Tariq got the wicket of Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav for 32 runs in the 19th over.

India Finish at 175/7: Winning Total in IND vs PAK

India closed their innings at 175 for 7 in 20 overs, a good aggregate considering the pressure of the match and timely dismissals by Pakistan.

Key Highlights:

Ishan Kishan – 72 (27-ball fifty)

Suryakumar Yadav – 32

Saim Ayub – Double strike for Pakistan

On a spinning-friendly Premadasa surface, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and Axar Patel can make it difficult for Pakistan to defend 175 runs.

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