India vs Pakistan, Match 27 Match Summary

That's a wrap - Another absorbing day comes to a close in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2026. But get ready for another triple dose of cricket on Monday, 16th February. The day starts with Afghanistan facing the UAE in New Delhi, which will be followed by England taking on Italy in Kolkata. The day ends with another mouth-watering clash with stakes at an all-time high as Australia go up against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. The first ball of the first match is scheduled to be bowled at 5.30 am GMT, but our coverage will begin a lot sooner. Do join us in advance to catch all the pre-match buzz and buildup. Until then, we sign off, only to meet again. Cheers!

As things stand in Group A - India become the second team after West Indies to qualify for the Super 8s. Pakistan, meanwhile, slip to third after this heavy defeat, with the USA moving up to second spot, very much alive and kicking for the top two finish. However, the USA’s group stage campaign is now complete, and they will be hoping Namibia to beat Pakistan in their final league game to get through. The Dutch remain in the mix as well and will be banking on a Pakistan slip-up to keep their qualification hopes alive ahead of their clash against India. However, if Pakistan beat Namibia on 18th February, before the India-Netherlands game later that evening, they will be through to the next round, knocking both the Netherlands and the USA out of the race.

A quick recap of Super Sunday - The day began with the West Indies becoming the first team to advance to the Super 8 stage by brushing aside Nepal in a one-sided game at the Wankhede. It was then followed by the USA winning against Namibia by 31 runs in Chennai, and by doing so, they kept their Super 8 hopes alive. And what was billed up as one of the biggest clashes of the tournament did not quite live up to the billing. India crushed Pakistan and handed them a massive 61-run defeat.

THIS WIN IS FOR INDIA - The victorious Indian captain, Suryakumar Yadav, says this win is for India. Shares that the message was to play the same brand of cricket and not change the approach because of the occasion, and they did so. Feels that batting first was the better option on this surface. He praises Ishan for continuing to bat the way he had been doing in the lead-up to the tournament and he carried that same intent into the match. Mentions that after the early wicket, someone had to take responsibility, and Ishan did exactly that. Adds that there was a slight slump between overs 7 and 15, but commends the way Tilak, Rinku and Dube contributed. Opines that 175 was 15 to 20 runs above par. Feels that a score of 155 would have made it a very tight contest. SKY says that with the ball, everyone stuck to their plans. Adds that Hardik took charge with the new ball, while Bumrah did what he does best. Is pleased to see that the rest of the bowlers chipped in as well. On the plans for their final league game, Surya states that they don't want to think about the next game just yet and will think about it after reaching Ahmedabad (they play Netherlands there on 18th).

Defeat not the end of the road - The skipper of Pakistan, Salman Agha, admits that Pakistan stayed committed to their spin-heavy approach, but admits that the execution fell short in key phases. He notes that while the spinners may have had an off day, the team would continue to back them, given their strong performances over the past six months. Reflecting on the batting, he adds that losing three or four wickets in the Powerplay left them chasing the game from the outset. Speaking about the decision to bowl first, he explains that the pitch in the first innings appeared slightly tacky, with the ball gripping. However, he feels Pakistan did not execute well enough with the ball. He also observes that the surface played better in the second innings, but the bowlers failed to adapt to the demands of the situation. On the batting front, he admits the side did not apply itself well or give itself a chance to go deep into the contest. On handling emotions in a high-pressure clash, he says that such games naturally bring intense emotions, but also adds that the team has enough experience to manage those situations. He stresses the need to regroup quickly, with another important game coming up in two days. He asserts that the defeat is not the end of the road for Pakistan. Points out that the upcoming game against Namibia still offers them a chance to qualify for the Super Eights. He underlines the importance of moving on quickly and maintaining a positive mindset.

... Let's hear from the captains ...

A lone fight in vain - Usman Khan played a brisk hand of 44, striking timely boundaries, but with wickets tumbling at the other end, the pressure kept building before it finally got to him. Once he fell, India’s spinners gatecrashed through the rest, never allowing Pakistan a moment to breathe. More than just the bowling though, it was Pakistan’s technique that came under the scanner, with batters repeatedly undone by poor shot selection and a lack of clarity against spin.

A picture-perfect start - India didn’t just strike early, they ripped the game open in the Powerplay itself. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya kept it tight, asked the right questions, and cashed in, with Bumrah’s double strike leaving Pakistan rattled. To be fair, Pakistan didn’t help themselves either, going too hard and across the line of the ball, instead of trusting the pitch and playing through the line. Most of their wickets looked self-inflicted. And with 38/4 in the Powerplay, they were already staring down the barrel.

An inning that ebbed and flowed - 18 overs of spin, and for a while, India made batting look comfortable. That was largely down to Ishan Kishan, whose aggressive start not only put Pakistan under pressure but also laid a strong base on a surface that clearly wasn’t easy for new batters, something that became evident later. Saim Ayub stood out with an excellent spell, his double strike in the 15th over pushing India onto the back foot. Suryakumar Yadav then steadied things with a responsible knock, well supported by Shivam Dube as the pair added a 33-run stand to keep India afloat. Pakistan, however, couldn’t close things out well with the ball, as Shaheen Afridi went for plenty at the death, allowing India to finish strongly on 175.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Ishan Kishan receives the award for his swashbuckling 77 off just 40 balls. He says the wicket was not easy at the start, and he looked to keep things simple. Adds that he tried to watch the ball closely and played according to the field. He mentions working a lot on his off side game and trying to find the gaps, especially with the bigger boundaries offering more space to exploit. Kishan shares that they had a target in mind of 160-170, feeling that would be competitive on this surface. On the occasion, he says an India versus Pakistan clash is always special, not just for the players but for the fans as well. Mentions that it was an important game, and beating Pakistan gives the team a lot of confidence going forward. Ishan acknowledges that Pakistan have quality spinners and that the key was to play good, calculated shots against them. With the ball, he notes there was not much assistance for the pacers when he batted earlier against Shaheen Afridi and praises Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah for setting the tone upfront.

A comprehensive win - India come up with another dominant performance across all departments, against Pakistan, in what is called a marquee clash every time these two sides meet. With this, India make it 8-1 against Pakistan in T20 World Cups. They also qualify for the Super 8 stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2026. Pakistan came into this clash riding the positives from their first two games, but looked completely out of sorts here. Especially during the chase, they had no answers whatsoever against this Indian bowling unit. And now, their net run rate has taken a significant hit, slipping below that of USA's in Group A.

OUT! CASTLED! All over for Pakistan. India win by 61 runs and book their place in the Super 8 stage! Hardik keeps the stumps in play with a length ball, Tariq exposes all three stumps and stays leg side of the ball. He hangs his bat out away from his body to cover the line. He plays down the wrong line as the ball goes past the outside edge and clatters into the top of the middle pole. With this massive defeat, Pakistan slip down to third in the standings in Group A, below USA, with a net run rate of -0.403, while USA's reads a healthy +0.788!

Across off, into the deck, Afridi flat-bats it to long on for a single.

A full toss at pace, on leg, Shaheen Afridi backs away and slaps it down to long on for a single.

Short ball, outside off, zipping through with bounce. Shaheen Afridi is beaten by pace and fails to connect with the pull.

DROPPED, SIX! Kuldeep Yadav tips it over the ropes. That will only add to the frustration of Hardik Pandya. On top of off, on a back of a length. Afridi has a big swing across the line. Skies it towards wide long on, where Kuldeep runs to his left and stays side on to take the catch. Ends up palming it over the boundary cushions and Hardik is not pleased one bit.

Chance? Hardik Pandya is not happy with Ishan Kishan. Was there a glove? Into the surface, around leg, Afridi swings across the pull. The ball sneaks under his bat and the gloves. It goes low towards Ishan, who fails to pouch it. The ball pops out of his gloves. The UltraEdge shows a scratch when the ball is next to the glove.

Wide! Hardik spots Afridi backing away and he follows him with a short ball. This slips down leg, Afridi ducks under it.

Full and in front of the stumps, Shaheen crouches a bit and drills it to long on for one.

Full and outside off. Shaheen stays leg side of it and works it to wide long on. Denies the single.

BEATEN! Full and outside off. Shaheen makes room, lunges forward and looks to play a lofted shot. Loses his shape as he swings too hard, fails to get underneath it, and gets beaten on the outside edge.

FOUR! Gets it away! Full and at the sticks, Afridi walks across his stumps and has an ungainly swipe across the line. Gets more of an inside edge and it races behind square leg for a four.

Darted in at the pads, on a length, Afridi clears the front leg and attempts the slog sweep but misses and wears it on the pads.

FOUR! Hammered! Drops it short, on off, Shaheen Afridi gets the width to free his arms and he spanks it to the right of long off for a four. 100 comes up for Pakistan.

This is called toying with the opposition. Suryakumar Yadav tosses the ball up to Rinku Singh! He replaces Tilak Varma.

On off, pushed through, Usman Tariq lets it be.

Rapped on the pads! There is a stifled appeal for LBW. Not given by the umpire. This looks high and seems to be sliding down leg. Suryakumar Yadav wants to take a chance with it being the hat-trick ball. He takes the review with a couple of seconds left on the timer. Slanting into the right-hander, on a nagging length. There is a tentative prod by Tariq, but fails to bring his bat out in front. Gets hit on the flap of the front pad. The Ball Tracking shows that the ball will miss the leg stump, both on height as well as line.

Usman Tariq is the last man in for Pakistan and will face the hattrick ball.

OUT! PLUMB IN FRONT! Kumar Dharmasena nods before raising the finger. Chakaravarthy is on a hat-trick! Abrar Ahmed reviews, more in hope than anything else. Googly from Chakaravarthy, on a length, on middle. Abrar does not pick the wrong 'un, neither from the hand nor off the surface. He is caught on the crease and just hangs his bat out to cover the line. The ball lands and comes back in to go past the inside edge and hits him on the pads. No bat involved and the Ball Tracking shows three reds with the ball crashing into the middle stump.

Another one bites the dust. Abrar Ahmed is in at number 10.