T20 World Cup 2026: Kishan’s blitz fires India to 175

Colombo, Feb. 15 (Daily Mirror) - In a high-stakes encounter at the R. Premadasa Stadium, India set a challenging target of 176 for arch-rivals Pakistan, largely propelled by a breathtaking 77-run knock from opener Ishan Kishan. Despite an early setback and a middle-order squeeze by Pakistan’s spinners, India finished their 20 overs at 175/7 on a tacky Colombo surface that offered significant turn.

The match began with immediate drama as Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to bowl. India's start was far from ideal, with Abhishek Sharma dismissed for a duck in the very first over. However, Ishan Kishan responded with fearless aggression, dismantling Pakistan’s "spin-heavy" Powerplay strategy. Kishan raced to a 27-ball fifty—the third-fastest in India-Pakistan T20I history—finishing with 77 off just 40 deliveries, including 10 boundaries and three towering sixes.

At 88/1 in the 9th over, India looked poised for a total well beyond 200. Pakistan, however, relied on Saim Ayub, who proved to be the game-changer with the ball. Ayub outfoxed Kishan to break the dangerous partnership and later claimed the wickets of Tilak Varma (25) and Hardik Pandya (0) on successive deliveries. His figures of 3/25 and a staggering turn rate of over 4.5 degrees stifled the Indian middle order, making stroke-play difficult as the pitch slowed down.

Despite the flurry of wickets, captain Suryakumar Yadav played a steadying hand with 32 off 24 balls. A late flourish from Shivam Dube (27) and a brief cameo by Rinku Singh ensured India reached a competitive total. The final over provided one last twist as Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Axar Patel on the final ball, keeping India to 175. With the pitch favoring spinners, India will rely heavily on their trio of slow bowlers to defend the total in the second half.

Pix by: Kushan Pathiraja