By Alam Zeb Safi
COLOMBO: India sealed qualification for the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a commanding 61-run victory over Pakistan in their Group A clash at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
Riding on a blistering 77 from Ishan Kishan and a ruthless bowling display, India posted 175 for seven before bundling Pakistan out for 114 in 18 overs.
Kishan’s 40-ball knock, laced with 10 fours and three sixes, laid the foundation for India’s imposing total after Pakistan captain Salman Agha opted to field.
India were jolted early when Abhishek Sharma fell for a duck but Kishan counter-attacked during the powerplay, racing to his half-century off just 27 balls. His aggressive intent ensured India reached 52 for one at the end of the six overs powerplay.
Tilak Varma (25) and captain Suryakumar Yadav (32) steadied the innings through the middle phase, though Pakistan found some respite through Saim Ayub, who claimed three wickets, including the prized scalp of Kishan in the ninth over.
India momentarily stumbled at 126 for four after quick dismissals of Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya but Shivam Dube’s brisk 27 off 17 balls and a late cameo from Rinku Singh, who struck 11 not out from four deliveries, lifted the total to 175 for seven.
For Pakistan, Ayub returned figures of three for 25 while Usman Tariq and Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with a wicket apiece.
Chasing 176, Pakistan’s innings never recovered from a dramatic top-order collapse. They slumped to 13 for three inside two overs as Jasprit Bumrah struck twice and Hardik Pandya removed Sahibzada Farhan cheaply.
Babar Azam’s brief stay ended when he was bowled by Axar Patel, leaving Pakistan reeling at 34 for four within the powerplay.
Usman Khan provided resistance with a 34-ball 44, hitting six fours and a six but lacked sustained support as wickets tumbled at regular intervals. Shadab Khan (14) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (23 not out) offered fleeting resistance, yet the required rate kept climbing.
India’s spinners tightened the noose in the middle overs. Axar Patel claimed two wickets, Varun Chakravarthy picked up two including Abrar Ahmed for a duck and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with one. Pandya returned to finish with two wickets as Pakistan were bowled out with two overs remaining.
Kishan was named Player of the Match for his match-defining knock at the top of the order, anchoring and accelerating India’s innings in equal measure.
Their third successive win took India to six points at the summit while Pakistan have four points with a game against Namibia in hand.
Summarised scores:
India 175/7 (20 overs, RR 8.75), Ishan Kishan 77 (40, 10×4, 3×6), Suryakumar Yadav 32 (29), Shivam Dube 27 (17), Tilak Varma 25 (24), Rinku Singh 11* (4), Extras 3 (lb 2, w 1), Saim Ayub 3/25 (4), Usman Tariq 1/24 (4), Shaheen Shah Afridi 1/31 (2), Salman Agha 1/10 (2).
Pakistan 114 all out (18 overs, RR 6.33), Usman Khan 44 (34, 6×4, 1×6), Shaheen Shah Afridi 23* (19), Shadab Khan 14 (15), Extras 4 (lb 1, w 3), Hardik Pandya 2/16 (3), Jasprit Bumrah 2/17 (2), Axar Patel 2/29 (4), Varun Chakravarthy 2/17 (3), Kuldeep Yadav 1/14 (3), Tilak Varma 1/11 (2).
Result, India won by 61 runs
Points Table
Group A
Team M W L Pts NRR
India 3 3 0 6 +3.050
USA 4 2 2 4 +0.788
Pakistan 3 2 1 4 -0.403
Netherlands 3 1 2 2 -1.352
Namibia 3 0 3 0 -2.443
Group B
Team M W L Pts NRR
Sri Lanka 2 2 0 4 +3.125
Zimbabwe 2 2 0 4 +1.984
Australia 2 1 1 2 +1.100
Ireland 3 1 2 2 +0.150
Oman 3 0 3 0 -4.546
Group C
Team M W L Pts NRR
West Indies 3 3 0 6 +1.820
England 3 2 1 4 -0.143
Scotland 3 1 2 2 +0.359
Italy 2 1 1 2 -0.352
Nepal 3 0 3 0 -1.942
Group D
Team M W L Pts NRR
South Africa 3 3 0 6 +1.477
New Zealand 3 2 1 4 +0.701
UAE 2 1 1 2 -1.030
Afghanistan 2 0 2 0 -0.555
Canada 2 0 2 0 -1.526
