India crushes Pakistan yet again in another T20 Match
Ishan Kishan’s majestic 77 and a stunning performance by the Indian bowlers swept Pakistan away in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, played at the RPS Stadium on Sunday.
With a difficult target of 176 runs, Pakistan fell well short of the mark and managed just 114 runs in 18 overs.
Pakistan got off to a nightmare start, losing 13-3 in the first two overs.
Hardik Pandya got the ball rolling with the wicket of Sahibzada Farhan (0), before ace Jasprit Bumrah removed Saim Ayub (6) and Salman Ali Agha (4) in a single over.
After the opening blow, Usman Khan and Babar Azam attempted to arrest the slide with a brief 21-run partnership.
However, the Green Shirts’ woes increased when Babar Azam, attempting a slog sweep, was dropped by Axar Patel.
His poor run in the T20Is continued, as he managed only five runs.
Despite the wickets falling around him, Usman fought back in an attempt to gain control of the required run rate.
His resistance ended when Pakistan were on 73 in 10.4 overs. He remained the leading scorer with 44 runs from 34 balls, including six fours and a six.
After his dismissal, Pakistan’s innings quickly unraveled, with none of the batsmen showing any grit against the disciplined Indian bowling attack.
For India, it was an all-round bowling performance, with each of the leading bowlers picking up a wicket.
Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya got two wickets each.
Earlier, Ishan Kishan’s devastating batting performance had propelled India into a dominant position, before Saim Ayub’s pitching magic halted their advance.
Called to bat first, India posted 175-7 in their 20 overs.
Pakistan inflicted a poor start on India with the dismissal of Abhishek Sharma in the first over.
The left-hander was dismissed without scoring in an interesting move by captain Salman Ali Agha, who decided to bowl the first over himself.
After an early wicket, Ishan Kishan unleashed a firework that Pakistan couldn’t control until midway through the innings.
He formed a partnership of 87 runs from 46 with Tilak Varma to keep India afloat. The pair took the score to 88 in 8.4 overs.
Kishan played the main aggressor, while Varma played a supporting role.
Pakistan managed to hold on, and Kishan was eventually eliminated.
He remained the top scorer with a sublime 77 off 40, peppered with 10 fours and three sixes.
Despite the elimination, India maintained momentum thanks to captain Suryakumar Yadav, who produced a cautious 38-run partnership with Varma.
India were on 126 in 14.2 overs when Saim Ayub turned the game around with his double wicket.
The right-handed bowler removed Varma and Haridk Pandya with consecutive deliveries, enabling a strong comeback.
Varma totaled a sluggish 25 off 24 with the help of a six and two fours, while Pandya was dismissed with a long-off for a duck.
As a result, India suddenly collapsed to 126-4 in 14.3 overs.
After quick wickets, Pakistan effectively slowed India’s progress, despite a brief 33-run stand between Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube.
Yadav was dropped after scoring 32 off 29, while Dube played to the end, securing India’s above-par score.
The left-hander scored 27 off 17 with the help of three fours and a six.
For Pakistan, it was Saim Ayub who stood out with the ball, taking three wickets in his four overs and conceding only 25 runs.
Usman Tariq was the other bowler who remained economical. The off-spinner conceded only 24 runs in his four overs and took the important wicket of the Indian captain.
