India continued their impressive run in the T20 World Cup 2026, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan by 61 runs in a high-intensity Group A clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday. With the victory, the defending champions marched into the Super Eight stage, completing a perfect hat-trick of wins in the group phase.
After being put in to bat, India posted a competitive 175/7 in 20 overs, riding on a scintillating knock from Ishan Kishan. The left-hander was in explosive form, smashing 77 runs off 40 deliveries. His innings took India to a respectable total. For his match-winning effort, he was named Player of the Match. Despite a few wickets falling at regular intervals, India maintained momentum throughout their innings, with Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube scoring 32 and 27, respectively.
Chasing 176, Pakistan were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs. The Indian bowling unit delivered a clinical performance, sharing wickets and applying relentless pressure from the outset. Axar Patel was the standout performer with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 2 for 29 in his four overs. Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah also shared two wickets each. Following the heavy defeat, former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar hit out at PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan batter Babar Azam.
"Now one guy doesn't even know he's the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. How will the team run now? You're saying one guy, you've made him a superstar, he can't win a single match. You've made him a star who can't win a single living match," Akhtar told ABP News.
"Brother, when you make these kinds of stars, when you choose them, when you pick them, then you'll have this problem only. But again, the point is, if you see, you know what the biggest crime in the world is? The biggest crime in the world is that you give a big job to an incompetent person,” he added.
Meanwhile, defending champions India, with three wins in three group-stage matches, have strongly established themselves as one of the tournament favourites. Their next match is against Netherlands on Wednesday in Ahmedabad.