IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup: 5 Key Takeaways From India's 61-Run Win over Pakistan in Colombo

An unbeaten Team India sealed their Super 8 berth with a comprehensive 61-run win over Pakistan in the one-sided T20 World Cup 2026 clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 18.

After posting a total of 175/7 in 20 overs, Team India bowlers bundled out Pakistan for 114 in 18 overs, crushing the arch-rivals with a clinical all-round performance. Varun Chakravarthy (2/17), Axar Patel (2/29), Hardik Pandya (2/16), and Jasprit Bumrah (2/17) combined to pick eight wickets, leaving Pakistan struggling under relentless pressure and handing India a dominant victory.

On that note, let’s take a look at key takeaways from India’s dominant victory over Pakistan in Colombo.

Team India opener Abhishek Sharma returned to the playing XI after he was ruled out of the Men in Blue’s previous match against Namibia due to a stomach infection. There was hype and excitement around the swashbuckling opener’s return for the blockbuster clash in Colombo. However, Abhishek’s stay at the crease left Indian spectators disappointed as he was dismissed for a four-ball duck.

The southpaw took three balls to get settled in before he was dismissed on the fourth ball off Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha’s spin bowling, failing to make an impact and leaving Team India’s strong start in jeopardy. This was his second consecutive duck of the T20 World Cup as he has yet to open an account in the marquee event.

Ishan Kishan lit up Colombo with his blazing performance that took away the momentum from Pakistan early in the innings. After Abhishek Sharma’s dismissal, the pressure was on Ishan Kishan, but he was unfazed as he took charge of India’s innings and took the team past the 50-run mark in the powerplay. The southpaw completed his second fifty of the tournament in just 27 balls.

Ishan played a brilliant knock of 77 off 40 balls, including 10 fours and 3 sixes, at an impressive strike rate of 192.50 on a challenging surface where other Indian batters struggled to gain momentum. In his 88-run partnership with Tilak Varma, Kishan scored 87.36% of the runs in that crucial stand. This showcased how dominant Ishan was against Pakistan after Abhishek Sharma’s early dismissal.

Pakistan’s hopes of chasing down the 175-run target were dashed in the first two overs of the run chase, as Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah rattled the Men in Green’s batting with a devastating opening spell. Hardik started with a maiden wicket by dismissing Sahibzada Farhan for a duck before Jasprit Bumrah removed Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha to leave Pakistan reeling at 13/3 in two overs.

Pakistan were further reduced to 34/4 in 4.5 overs, with the dismissal of Babar Azam, as the arch-rivals had almost lost half of their side inside the powerplay, leaving them in a position from which a comeback seemed impossible. Before the beginning of the death overs, Pakistan collapsed to 97/9, with the tailenders unable to withstand India’s disciplined attack.

One of the key takeaways from India’s victory over Pakistan is the Men in Blue’s smart strategy on a tricky surface, which offers more spin than on a typical subcontinent pitch. India rotated bowlers intelligently, mixing spin and pace to leave Pakistan guessing, while batsmen targeted scoring opportunities selectively. India tried seven different bowlers, including two occasional spinners in Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh, to prevent Pakistan from gaining any momentum.

Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel shared four wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Varma picked a wicket each. A collective effort of spinners and pacers kept Pakistan under constant pressure, never allowing them to settle and forcing mistakes throughout their innings. This balanced approach showcased India’s adaptability on a tricky Colombo surface.

Team India recorded their highest win by runs against Pakistan in the history of T20Is. With a 61-run victory in Colombo, the Men in Blue extended their dominance over the arch-rivals in the T20 World Cup. India recorded their eighth win in nine outings against Pakistan at the marquee event, maintaining an almost perfect record.

In overall World Cups, T20 and ODIs, Team India has an outstanding record with 16-1 wins against Pakistan, underlining their supremacy and consistency over their arch-rivals in World Cup encounters. Therefore, the Men in Blue have been Pakistan’s nightmare in World Cup clashes, continuing their streak of dominant performances and reinforcing their mental edge over the arch-rivals.