India Vs Pakistan Highlights, T20 World Cup 2026: Kishan’s Fireworks And Ruthless Bowling Help IND Claim 61-Run Win

Welcome to our live coverage of IND vs PAK in the T20 World Cup 2026, coming to you from Colombo. It’s a night that needs no build-up, two arch-rivals, a packed stadium, and millions watching across the world. Stay tuned for further updates.

As per AccuWeather, expect some rains in the evening with a 96% chance of rainfall in Colombo today. As per the hourly prediction, the chances of rainfall till 8pm are over 49% and then drop sharply to 9% thereafter. With rain easing later in the day, a wet outfield could delay the start of the match or even shorten the game by a few overs.

Big boost for India on the eve of the clash. Abhishek Sharma looked in ominous touch at Premadasa, shrugging off the illness and launching the spinners all around during a fiery net burst. Suryakumar Yadav even joked about unleashing him straight away, and if that happens, it could mean Sanju Samson is the one to miss out.

The handshake question continues to hover over the contest, with both captains choosing humor over clarity, Suryakumar Yadav asking everyone to wait, Salman Ali Agha echoing the same. Given the history since last year, the moment will be watched closely. Agha stressed spirit; Surya kept it light, reminding everyone they’re here to play cricket. We’ll soon see if the ice melts.

The last time India and Pakistan met at the R Premadasa Stadium in a T20 World Cup was back in 2012. Pakistan, batting first, were bowled out for 128 in 19.4 overs. India made light work of the chase, getting home in 17 overs thanks largely to Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 78 from 61 balls.

Buckle up, the night is loaded with mouth-watering duels. Imagine Ishan Kishan staring down Shaheen Afridi with the new ball swinging, or Abhishek Sharma trying to take him on in the powerplay. At the other end, Sahibzada Farhan versus Jasprit Bumrah promises pure theatre, while Babar Azam squaring up against Arshdeep could decide the tempo of the chase.

Check our exciting full player battles article.

Not a great sign by the weather, it's adding its own subplot in Colombo. Dark clouds hang over Premadasa and the lights are already on, though the relief is that no rain has fallen since last night. Still, with the skies staying stubbornly grey, everyone is glancing upward as much as toward the middle.

Former India skipper and 2024 T20 World Cup winning captain Rohit Sharma was spotted with his wife, Ritika Sajdeh, at the Mumbai airport. Many fans have speculated that the star cricketer was leaving for Colombo for the IND vs PAK match.

The Indian players are here at the R. Premadasa Stadium. They will soon start their practice and warm up for the much-awatied clash.

So far so good in terms of the weather. Rain has not arrived and the day has been all dry. Dark clouds were covering the sky momentarily, but it has cleared up since then and now only patchy clouds can be spotted. Floodlights are on to provide better visibility.

Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav will not indulge in the customary handshake with his Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha during toss of their T20 World Cup clash in Colombo on Sunday, maintaining the status quo since the Asia Cup in Dubai last year. "The No handshake Policy will continue," a BCCI official in Colombo confirmed to PTI requesting anonymity.

Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube have marked their run ups. It can be the indicator that Arshdeep Singh is not playing and Kuldeep Yadav will replace him in the playing XI. In that case, Shivam Dube will be needed to bowl.

Star rapper Hanumankind is currently performing at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo ahead of the India vs Pakistan ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Group A match.

India are leaving nothing to chance. At training, Suryakumar Yadav turned into a stand-in for Usman Tariq, recreating that stop-start action so the batters could get a feel for it. Abhishek Sharma had a crack in the nets, and the message from the skipper was clear, tricky question or not, you still attempt it. Preparation mode: fully on.

Big presence in the house. Rohit Sharma has arrived in Colombo and is already in the dugout, greeting Suryakumar Yadav with a warm hug. The World Cup-winning skipper turned ambassador adds serious aura around the group, and you’d imagine a few words from him before start time wouldn’t hurt either.

Pakistan win the toss and opted to bowl first.

"We want to bowl first. It looks a bit tacky, so we feel it will assist the bowlers for the first few overs so we want to use that. We are relaxed in our group and excited for this challenge. Bigger ground than SSC and the pitch is slower than SSC. Same team for us." Salman Agha said.

"We were looking to bat first. We won last two games defending so we don't want to change it. It is an occasion, it's a high-stake game. This sport teaches you a lot of things, any side can win the game on a given day. Two changes. Abhishek Sharma comes in and Kuldeep Yadav is in for Arshdeep Singh." Suryakumar Yadav said.

India: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Khan(w), Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq

The expected moment came and went without change. At the toss, Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha kept it strictly formal, with no handshake offered. India have maintained that stance since the fallout around last year’s Asia Cup, and the policy clearly remains in place. Even before a ball is bowled, the rivalry has its edge.

The players are standing for their respective national anthems. Pakistan anthem first followed by India's.

We’re set to go. Ishan Kishan takes guard with Abhishek Sharma at the non-striker’s end, and Salman Agha has the ball in hand to begin proceedings. Slip in place, plenty of noise around, here we go.

What a start for Pakistan. Salman Agha’s surprise move with the new ball pays off immediately as Abhishek Sharma falls for another duck. It’s flat and skids on, Abhishek goes for the pull but can’t get hold of it, and the simple catch at mid-on is taken safely. Just one run and a wicket in the over.

IND 1/1 (1)

That’s the response India wanted. After the early jolt, Ishan Kishan comes out swinging, cracking a six and a four to immediately put the pressure back on the bowler. The intent is clear, no retreat despite the wicket. Tilak Varma settles in with a single while Kishan finishes the over with another boundary. 15 from it, and India jump to 16/1, momentum swinging back quickly.

Ashish Nehra

Imrul Kayes

Abhishek Sharma

Both Nehra and Kayes did not score a run in their World Cup careers.

A quieter passage after the earlier burst. Kishan finds the fence once with a crisp strike but otherwise Pakistan keep it tight, hitting good areas and cutting off easy singles. Tilak continues to settle in, nudging one late in the over. Just five runs from it, India move to 30/1, with the bowlers regaining a bit of control.

ICC chief and former India skipper Rohit Sharma are seated together, soaking in the thrilling contest. The two were deep in conversation, perhaps asking Rohit to pad up and open. Jokes aside, that’s the kind of star power an IND-PAK game brings to the stands.

India finish the powerplay strongly after that early scare. Kishan has led the charge with positive strokeplay, keeping the tempo high, while Tilak Varma has settled quickly and joined the boundary count. Pakistan have tried to pull things back with tighter lines, but anything loose has been punished. Eleven from the over takes India to 52/1 after six, a solid recovery and a platform to build on.

Fifty up for Ishan Kishan and what a counterpunch this has been. After India lost a wicket early, he has taken responsibility and put the pressure straight back on the bowlers. Abrar floated it in the slot and Kishan hammered it straight down the ground for four, bringing up the milestone in just 27 balls.

IND 65/1 (7)

India are flying now. Kishan is in complete control, picking gaps at will and then clearing the ropes with ease when the bowlers miss their mark. Twos turn into boundaries, pressure keeps mounting, and Pakistan are scrambling for answers. Tilak is happy to give his partner the strike while staying solid at the other end. Seventeen off the over rockets India to 82/1, and the momentum is firmly with the men in blue.

Relief for Pakistan at last. Saim Ayub sneaks one through and the stumps are rattled, Ishan Kishan’s superb innings comes to an end. He’s been the one taking the game away, striking 77 from just 40 balls and refusing to let the surface dictate terms. A massive wicket, even if it arrives a touch late. India 88/2 in 8.4, and the door just opens a little.

Interesting end to the over. Nawaz fires one in and Suryakumar Yadav misses the sweep, struck on the back pad. Big appeal and Pakistan immediately review, sensing a chance. It looked like Surya was through the shot a touch early, undone by the lack of pace. The question is whether it straightens or keeps sliding down leg. They sneak a leg bye in the process. Ten from the over, India 108/2 after 12, but all eyes now on the screen.

What an over from Saim Ayub, the game has turned on its head. He removes Tilak Varma first, trapping him in front as the sweep goes wrong, and then gets Hardik Pandya next ball with a mistimed loft safely held in the deep. Suddenly Pakistan are roaring. Ayub nearly had the hat-trick too, beating Dube with sharp turn and bounce, only for it to miss the stumps and the review to show nothing. Just two runs and two massive wickets in the over. India stumble to 127/4 after 15, and the momentum has swung dramatically.

Pakistan are keeping things tight now. Very little room on offer and both Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube are forced to settle for singles rather than find the ropes. The tempo has dipped noticeably after those wickets, and India are searching for a final push. Just four runs from the over, making it 140/4 after 17, with pressure building toward the finish.

That’s better from India, much-needed momentum at this stage. Dube gets the over going with a boundary and then clears the ropes later on, reminding everyone he can change gears quickly. Suryakumar keeps rotating strike and ensures the pressure doesn’t drop. Fourteen from the over lifts India to 154/4 after 18, and they’ve given themselves something to launch from in the final two.

Tariq signs off with a big moment. After keeping things tight all evening, he finally has the wicket he deserved as Suryakumar Yadav miscues the slog and is held in the deep. The pause in the action did the trick, forcing SKY to fetch it and the big boundary took care of the rest. Rinku Singh arrives but can’t get away first ball. Just five runs and a crucial breakthrough, India slip to 159/5 after 19.

Busy final over. India begin with boundaries and a six to squeeze valuable runs, but the finish gets messy. A mix-up in the middle sees Shivam Dube run out while pushing for an extra run, and the very next ball Axar Patel holes out, giving Pakistan another wicket. Sixteen still come from the over, though, and India close on 175/7, a competitive total with plenty for the bowlers to defend.

We’re ready for the chase. Sahibzada Farhan takes strike with Saim Ayub at the non-striker’s end, and Hardik Pandya has the ball in hand to kick things off. Field spread with attacking intent, big over to start.

What a start from Hardik Pandya, a wicket maiden to kick off the chase. He bangs it in hard, gets it to move away and Farhan’s attempted pull only results in a top edge. Rinku settles under it and Pakistan lose a key attacking option for a duck. The pressure doesn’t ease either, with Salman Agha beaten outside off later in the over. No runs, one massive strike, Pakistan 0/1 after one, rocked immediately.

Bumrah brings drama straightaway. There’s a six early in the over, but he hits back hard with two wickets to leave Pakistan in serious trouble. Salman Agha falls to a poor stroke, trying to whip across the line and only managing a simple catch for Hardik. In between, a couple of runs keep the board moving, but the damage is done. Two strikes in the over, and Pakistan crash to 13/3, the chase already wobbling badly.

Axar Patel joins the party and Pakistan sink further. Babar Azam tries to force the issue with an ambitious slog but only succeeds in rearranging his own stumps. A massive blow given his importance in the chase. There were a couple of boundaries earlier in the over, but the wicket wipes out that momentum completely. Pakistan slide to 34/4, and India are firmly on top.

Useful over for Pakistan in the context of the chase. Two early boundaries release some pressure before India tighten up the lines and force a series of dots. Usman continues to hold the innings together, while Shadab is looking to find his rhythm at the other end. Nine from it moves Pakistan to 66/4, still a long road ahead but at least the scoring hasn’t stalled completely.

Axar does it again and this is a hammer blow. Usman Khan, the one batter holding the chase together, dances down looking to attack but is beaten by the bounce and sharp work from Kishan behind the stumps completes the job. Pakistan lose their set man and the rebuild collapses instantly. Nawaz survives the rest of the over but there’s no release. Just two runs and a huge wicket, Pakistan slide to 73/5 after 11.

akistan are now in deeper trouble. Nawaz tries to take advantage of a full toss but can only chip it towards deep mid-wicket, where Dube moves smartly to his right and holds on. Another partnership cut short just when they needed something to build around. Faheem comes in and is immediately tied down. Only five runs and a wicket, Pakistan slump to 78/6 after 12, the chase now slipping fast.

Tilak Varma makes an instant impact. Shadab goes for the big shot but mistimes it and Dube takes care of the rest in the deep. Faheem finds a boundary later in the over, yet the damage is already done. Six runs and another wicket, Pakistan now 84/7 after 13, running out of batters and time.

Varun Chakravarthy is finishing this off in style. He first has Faheem pulling straight to Rinku in the deep, then follows it up with a ripping googly that traps Abrar plumb in front. Suddenly he’s on a hat-trick and Pakistan are in complete disarray. The review for Tariq later in the over shows it’s bouncing over, but that’s small consolation. Just three runs and two wickets, Pakistan crash to 97/9 after 16, hanging by a thread now.

Hardik Pandya finishes it and with plenty of emotion. After a couple of dropped chances earlier in the over, including one by Kishan and another in the deep, Shaheen even managed to sneak a six in between. But Hardik keeps pounding the stumps, stays calm enough, and finally sneaks one past Usman Tariq to rattle middle. That’s the end. Pakistan bowled out for 114, and despite the late drama, India wrap up a commanding win.

"I think the wicket wasn't that easy in the beginning. You just have to believe and focus on your strength. Wanted to make them run as much as possible to my side. I worked a lot on my off-side play. I was just trying to keep it simple. I had that in mind that we need to put 160-170 runs and it will be a good total for us. India v Pakistan is always a special game not only for us but for our country as well. Winning this game against Pakistan will give us a lot of confidence and we will look to keep the momentum going. When Shaheen was bowling I didn't feel like the ball was doing much for the pacers but how Bumrah and Hardik bowled in those two overs was incredible."

"Our spinners had an off day. Execution was missing in some parts. We believe in our spinners, they've done well in last six months. We lost too many wickets in the powerplay with the bat. In the first innings it was tacky, the ball was gripping as well. The execution was missing with the ball. Pitch played better in the second innings than it did in the first. In these kind of games, the emotions are always going to be high. Have to deal with it. Have played enough games like that. Have a game in two days time, have to look forward to that. Need to win that game and qualify for the Super Eights. Then it's a new tournament again." Salman Agha said.

"I think this is for India. We played the same brand of cricket what we wanted to play. Batting first was better option on this wicket. Ishan thought something out of the box. After 0/1, someone had to take responsibility and the way he took it was amazing. It's difficult to say when you're batting first. Because you never know if there will be dew or how the pitch will play under lights. But we felt it was 15 above par. 155 could've been a tight game. It was great to see everyone contributing with the ball. We'll go back, have a good time together as a team and then think about the other games when we take the flight to Ahmedabad." Suryakumar Yadav said.

8* Ind vs Pak (one Super Over win)

6 Aus vs Ban

6 Pak vs Ban

6 SL vs WI

6 WI vs Eng

82 vs WI Mirpur 2014

113/7 vs Ind New York 2024

114 vs Ind Colombo RPS 2026 *

123/7 vs SL Colombo RPS 2012

With this win, India have now qualified for the Super 8s but the first team to qualify for the Super 8 was West Indies, who defeated Nepal in today's morning game.

Afghanistan Vs UAE - 11:00 AM IST

england vs Italy - 03:00 PM IST

Australia Vs Sri Lanka - 07:00 PM IST

Thank you for joing today. Join us again tomorrow for more exciting matches.