India crushes Pakistan by 61 runs, extend T20 World Cup supremacy to 8‑1!

In a blockbuster ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Group A encounter at the R. Premadasa Stadium, India delivered a commanding performance to defeat arch-rivals Pakistan by 61 runs , underlining their dominance in the shortest format.

Batting first after winning the toss, India posted 175/7 in 20 overs , setting Pakistan a challenging target of 176. The highlight of India’s innings was a blistering 77 off 40 balls by Ishan Kishan , who reached his half-century in just 27 deliveries, one of the fastest in an India‑Pakistan T20 World Cup clash anchoring the Indian innings with power and precision. For his stellar performance, Ishan Kishan was named Man of the Match .

Captain Suryakumar Yadav contributed 32 , while Shivam Dube (27) and Rinku Singh added useful late runs to take India past the 170-mark. Pakistan’s bowlers had moments of promise, particularly Saim Ayub (3/25) , but early strikes from Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel reduced Pakistan to 13/3 inside the powerplay . Despite Usman Khan top-scoring with 44 , Pakistan were eventually dismissed for 114* , giving India a comprehensive victory.

With this win, India have now won 8 of their 9 T20 World Cup clashes against Pakistan , reinforcing their psychological edge in one of cricket’s fiercest rivalries. The triumph also secured India’s place in the Super 8 stage , keeping their unbeaten run in Group A intact.

In Group C action in Chennai , Sanjay Krishnamurthi’s unbeaten 68 off 33 balls propelled the United States to 199/4 , and a disciplined bowling effort by Saurabh Netravalkar and Shubham Ranjane restricted Namibia to 168/6 , giving USA a 31-run win and keeping their Super 8 hopes alive. Monank Patel (52) laid the foundation, while Sanjay and Milind Kumar finished the innings with an unbroken 87-run stand.

The West Indies became the first team to reach the Super Eights with a nine-wicket win over Nepal , powered by Shai Hope’s unbeaten 61 and Jason Holder’s 4/27 . Hope praised contributions from multiple players, highlighting Matthew Forde’s all-round performance , while Holder stressed developing pace bowling. Nepal captain Sompal Kami said his side fell short but promised a stronger comeback.

Today’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Matches

Afghanistan vs United Arab Emirates — 11:00 AM IST / 5:30 AM GMT

29th Match, Group C — Eden Gardens, Kolkata

England vs Italy — 3:00 PM IST / 9:30 AM GMT

30th Match, Group B — Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele

Australia vs Sri Lanka — 7:00 PM IST / 1:30 PM GMT

Match in the tournament schedule — Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele