Pakistan Stumbles in Chase of 176
Pakistan suffered a 61-run defeat against India in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage clash at R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Set a challenging target of 176, Pakistan’s batting lineup faltered early. They were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs. The top order collapsed quickly against India’s pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.
Sahibzada Farhan fell for a duck, Saim Ayub managed six, and captain Salman Ali Agha scored only four runs. All three wickets fell within the first two overs with just 13 runs on the board, leaving Pakistan under severe pressure.
At No.5, wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan tried to stabilize the innings. He shared a 21-run partnership with Babar Azam before Babar was dismissed for five by Axar Patel.
Usman then stitched a careful 39-run stand with all-rounder Shadab Khan until Axar removed him. Usman remained Pakistan’s top scorer with 44 runs off 34 balls, hitting six fours and a six.
After Usman’s departure, Pakistan continued to lose wickets rapidly. Mohammad Nawaz (4) and Shadab (14) fell in successive overs, leaving the team at 78/7 in 12.1 overs. Lower-order contributions from Faheem Ashraf (10) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (23) added 19 runs for the eighth wicket.
Abrar Ahmed fell for a golden duck to Varun Chakravarthy, and Usman Tariq was cleaned up by Pandya, sealing Pakistan’s defeat.
India’s Batting Masterclass
India, chasing by default, posted 175/5 in 20 overs. They recovered after an early loss of Abhishek Sharma for a duck. Opener Ishan Kishan led the innings with a brilliant 77 off 40 balls, including 10 fours and three sixes.
Kishan’s efforts were supported by captain Suryakumar Yadav, who scored 32 off 29 deliveries, and contributions from Tilak Varma (25) and Shivam Dube (27). Partnerships were crucial in consolidating India’s innings after early setbacks.
Bowling Highlights and Key Performances
Pakistan’s spin bowler Saim Ayub was the standout, taking 3 wickets for 25 runs in four overs. Captain Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, and Usman Tariq picked up one wicket each. Despite these efforts, India managed to post a formidable target.
For India, Bumrah, Patel, Pandya, and Chakravarthy took two wickets each. Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Varma also contributed to restricting Pakistan’s scoring.
The defeat highlighted Pakistan’s early batting collapse and inability to chase big totals against a strong Indian lineup. Fans expressed disappointment as the Green Shirts fell short once again against their arch-rivals.
