The India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 match has once again ended in favor of Suryakumar Yadav. The men in blue had complete dominance over the strong Pakistan team. Looking at the conditions in Sri Lanka, Pakistan has become familiar with the conditions; However, in the end it was a completely one-sided game.
After being invited to bat first, India lost the wicket of Abhishek Sharma early. But Ishan Kishan demolished Pakistan’s bowlers as the left-handed opener smashed them all over the park. When he was batting he made the pitch completely different. Ishan played a brilliant inning of 77 runs in 40 balls, helping India post a good score of 175/7 in 20 overs.
Pakistan needs to work on the batting department
While setting out to chase the target, it seemed as if Pakistan could never chase the target, losing their top order as the score read 13/3 in the first few overs. At one time he was struggling even to score 100 runs. However, they were eventually bowled out for 114, with Hardik Pandya ending the game with the wicket of Usman Tariq.
After the 61-run defeat, Salman Ali Aga’s side have slipped to third in Group A as they have the same points as the United States; However, his net run rate has gone into minus. This is a matter of concern for the team, which is scheduled to face Namibia in the final game of the group on February 18 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, Colombo.
How will Pakistan qualify for Super 8 after losing to India?
Namibia have not won a single match in the competition but will look to finish high and secure a win against the Men in Green on Wednesday. However, the equation for Pakistan is simple: win the game against the African nation and qualify for the Super 8 stages.
If there is a washout, Pakistan will qualify on points. However, a defeat against Namibia would see them exit the tournament once again in the group stage. If that happens, they will be out of the group stage in back to back editions of the T20 World Cup.
After winning their first two games against Netherlands and USA, the Men in Green found themselves in good form until they met India, who looked like an ordinary opponent to them. India has increased its lead to 8-1 in nine matches in T20 World Cup history.
In which group will Pakistan be given preference in Super 8?
If Salman Ali Aga’s team qualifies, they are already pre-seeded in Group 2 along with England, New Zealand and co-hosts Sri Lanka. They therefore have a chance to qualify for the semi-finals of the competition and even the final if they win their final group game against Namibia. The Men in Green will be under a huge amount of pressure, as they have lost their advantage of qualifying for the knockouts.
After this victory, India is performing brilliantly in ICC tournaments. In the last four major events, India have lost only one out of 27 matches in the 2023 ODI World Cup, 2024 T20 World Cup, 2025 Champions Trophy and this year’s T20 event.
Also read: Shahid Afridi leaves son-in-law Shaheen Afridi after Pakistan’s defeat to India
