While Suryakumar Yadav and Co. walk into the Super Eight, the Salman Agha‑led side now need a victory or a washout against Namibia to make it to the next stage. That is it from this space, folks! We hope you liked our coverage of the game. Stay connected to NDTV Sports for more.

"I think this is for India. We played the same brand of cricket what we wanted to play. Batting first was better option on this wicket. Ishan thought something out of the box. After 0/1, someone had to take responsibility and the way he took it was amazing," said India captain Suryakumar Yadav.

"We felt it was 15 above par. 155 could've been a tight game. It was great to see everyone contributing with the ball. We'll go back, have a good time together as a team and then think about the other games when we take the flight to Ahmedabad," he added.

"Our spinners had an off day. Execution was missing in some parts. We believe in our spinners, they've done well in last six months. We lost too many wickets in the powerplay with the bat. In the first innings it was tacky, the ball was gripping as well. The execution was missing with the ball," said Pakistan captain Salman Agha.

"Pitch played better in the second innings than it did in the first. In these kind of games, the emotions are always going to be high. Have to deal with it. Have played enough games like that. Have a game in two days time, have to look forward to that. Need to win that game and qualify for the Super Eights. Then it's a new tournament again," he added.

Ishan Kishan won the Player of the Match award. After game, he said, "The wicket was not that easy. Sometimes, you just have to believe and focus on your strengths. Was just watching the ball, sticking to my strengths and making them run as much as possible.

"India-Pakistan, always a special game, not just for us but our country as well. They had pretty good spinners in their side. Winning this against Pakistan, it will give us confidence going forward."

With the big win, India extend their lead over Pakistan to 8–1 in T20 World Cup clashes. Their sensational dominance over the arch‑rivals continues! Ishan Kishan put India ahead with his terrific piece of batting, while Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah made India’s case even stronger with a well‑controlled start with the ball.

OUT! Hardik Pandya has cleaned up Usman Tariq! India have won the game by a record 61 runs. This is the biggest margin of victory (by runs) for India against Pakistan in T20Is. With the win, Suryakumar Yadav and Co. advance to the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup 2026.

IND 175/7 (20)

PAK 114 (18)

Smart strategy from India captain Suryakumar Yadav. He first used Tilak Varma to bowl on this slow track and has now handed the ball to Rinku Singh. This is a good move to give bowling experience to your batters, especially in a game against Pakistan. Nine runs came off Rinku's over.

PAK 106-9 (17)

Varun Chakravarthy dismissed Abrar Ahmed but missed out on a hat‑trick. His delivery turned a bit extra as Usman Tariq was hit on the pad. The umpire was unconvinced by the LBW appeal. India captain Suryakumar Yadav took a chance with a review, but the ball was found to be missing the leg stump.

PAK 97-9 (16)

OUT! Varun Chakravarthy gets his first wicket as Faheem Ashraf hits it straight into the hands of the deep mid‑wicket fielder. Rinku Singh had to take just a couple of steps in from the deep to complete the catch.

Faheem Ashraf c Rinku Singh b Varun Chakaravarthy 10(14)

PAK 97-8 (15.3)

Tilak Varma nearly had his second wicket of the game, but he ended up dropping the catch himself. Shaheen Afridi tried to go for a big one on the leg side on the fourth ball of the over. He sliced it in the air, and the ball went behind to the right of the bowler, Tilak. He ran back, but the ball burst through his hands.

PAK 94-7 (15)

Just five runs come off Kuldeep Yadav's third over, and the asking rate goes to 14.5. Things continue to get tougher for Pakistan. They need 87 runs from 36 balls. This is a huge ask for their lower‑order batters.

PAK 89-7 (14)

Six runs and a wicket came off Tilak Varma's first over. Pakistan need 92 runs from 42 balls. The asking rate has gone over 13 now. India are right on top of this game. They are just three wickets away from a big win over the arch‑rivals.

PAK 84-7 (13)

12.4 - Tilak Varma bowls a fuller delivery outside off‑stump. There was width on offer as well, and Faheem Ashraf took full advantage of it. He lofted it through extra cover for a four.

Tilak Varma was brought into the attack, and he has struck with the very first ball. Shadab Khan tried to smash a big one but ended up slicing it in the air. Shivam Dube took the catch at long‑off. Pakistan are seven down.

PAK 78-7 (12.1)

That is a lucky wicket for Kuldeep Yadav! He bowled a low full toss to Mohammad Nawaz. The batter could have smashed it anywhere on the ground but found a running Shivam Dube at deep mid‑wicket. The fielder ran well to his right from deep square leg to complete the catch. Pakistan need 98 runs from 50 balls.

PAK 78-6 (11.4)

Just two runs and a wicket came off Axar Patel's final over. He had leaked 27 in his first three, but this over has made his figures look really impressive. He ends with two wickets to his name while conceding 29 runs in four overs.

PAK 73-5 (11)

OUT! Axar Patel has redeemed himself with the wicket of Usman Khan! The right‑handed batter jumped out of his crease, but Axar was prepared this time. He bowled it away from the batter’s reach. The ball gripped on the surface a bit, and Usman ended up missing it. Ishan Kishan comfortably collected the ball and clipped off the bails.

Usman Khan st Ishan Kishan b Axar Patel 44(34)

PAK 73-5 (10.4)

Kuldeep Yadav was brought into the attack, and he conceded only five singles in his first over. He bowled slow, gave it flight, and got decent turn to deceive the batters. Pakistan need 105 runs from 60 balls.

PAK 71-4 (10)

It was a good comeback from Axar Patel, as he conceded only a single after being hit for two consecutive fours at the start of his over. Nine came off the over. Axar remains expensive, conceding nine per over in his three so far.

PAK 66-4 (9)

Usman Khan is targeting Axar Patel! He jumped out of his crease and slammed the spinner for two consecutive fours down the ground. “Very smart batting, very good batting from Usman,” says Sunil Gavaskar on-air.

PAK 65-4 (8.2)

Ten came off Varun Chakravarthy's second over. Pakistan have made a bit of a recovery through the pair of Usman Khan and Shadab Khan. Usman has been playing really well, finding boundaries quite easily. Pakistan need 119 runs from 72 balls.

PAK 57-4 (8)

Poor bowling from Axar Patel. He bowled a good length delivery on the legs of Usman Khan and ended up leaking yet another boundary. The batter glanced it away for a four through fine leg. Nine came off this over. Axar has conceded 18 in his two so far. 

PAK 47-4 (7)

A four from Usman Khan! He jumped out of his crease and smashed the Axar Patel delivery between the long‑on and deep mid‑wicket fielders for a boundary. That didn’t come off the middle of his bat, but it was placed well into the gap.

PAK 43-4 (6.4)

The first powerplay was completely dominated by India. They started superbly with Hardik Pandya bowling a wicket‑maiden. Jasprit Bumrah put Pakistan in even more trouble with a double‑wicket over. Axar Patel struck after that to pile more misery on the chasing side. Pakistan need 138 runs from 84 balls.

PAK 38-4 (6)

OUT! Axar Patel was hit for two fours by Usman Khan, but he has redeemed himself with the wicket of Pakistan's Babar Azam. It was bowled slow through the air and Babar went for a slog. He missed it completely and the stumps were rattled. Pakistan are under more pressure now.

Babar Azam b Axar Patel 5(7)

PAK 34-4 (4.5)

Another good over from Jasprit Bumrah! He, along with Hardik Pandya, has put Pakistan completely on the back foot. It is worth noting that the Indian spinners are yet to arrive on this slow track. As I type this, Axar Patel gets the ball in hand. He will bowl the fifth over.

PAK 25-3 (4)

Pakistan's top three have scored a total of just 10 runs - 0 (Sahibzada Farhan), 6 (Saim Ayub), and 4 (Salman Agha). This is the lowest aggregate by Pakistan's top three in a T20 World Cup match, as well as their lowest against India.

OUT again! Jasprit Bumrah has dismissed Salman Agha! Pakistan are in absolute shambles. They are three down for just 13 runs on the board. It was a good‑length delivery from Bumrah, and Salman Agha tried to flick it on the leg side. The ball held onto the surface, and Agha ended up miscuing it in the air. Hardik Pandya took the catch at mid-on.

Salman Agha c Hardik Pandya b Jasprit Bumrah 4(4)

PAK 13-3 (2)

OUT! Jasprit Bumrah has dismissed Saim Ayub. Pakistan are in big trouble. That swung into the batter and hit him on the pad. The umpire raised his finger for the LBW appeal. And Ayub took a review only to waste it for Pakistan.

Saim Ayub lbw b Jasprit Bumrah 6(2) 

PAK 6-2 (1.2)

SIX from Saim Ayub! He swings hard on the leg side and gets a thick outside edge. The ball flies over the wicketkeeper's head for a six. That is the first runs for Pakistan.

PAK 6-1 (1.1)

That is a superb start for India with the ball! Hardik Pandya not only provided them with a wicket but also bowled a maiden over. Pakistan are truly under pressure. Jasprit Bumrah will bowl from the other end. Here we go…

PAK 0-1 (1)

OUT! Hardik Pandya has provided India an early breakthrough! Pakistan are one down for no run on the board. It was a short of length ball outside off-stump. Sahibzada Farhan tried to pull it on the leg side, but ended up miscuing it in the air. Rinku Singh took the catch at mid-on.

Sahibzada Farhan c Rinku Singh b Hardik Pandya 0(4) 

PAK 0-1 (0.4)

Shahabzada Farhan and Saim Ayub are in the middle. The former will take strike, Ayub is at the other end. Hardik Pandya is ready with the new ball. Here we go… Hardik starts with a delivery swinging away from the batter, and Shahabzada defends it.

Axar Patel was dismissed on the final ball of India's innings. Sixteen came off the final over from Shaheen Afridi, and that has helped India post 175 for 7 in the allotted 20 overs. The way this pitch has behaved so far, this seems like a good total for the Suryakumar Yadav-led side.

IND 175-7 (20)

It was turning out to be a really good over for India, but they have lost Shivam Dube. Rinku Singh slammed Shaheen Afridi for a four and a six before Dube got run out while trying to steal a never‑existing second run on the hit from Rinku.

IND 175-6 (19.5)

Five runs came off the final over of Usman Tariq. He ends his quota of four overs with figures of 1 for 24. The spinner has lived up to the hype that was created in the build-up to this match.

Suryakumar Yadav departs for 32 off 29 balls! Usman Tariq gets the much-deserved wicket here! He has dismissed the India captain. Suryakumar went for a slog but found the fielder at deep nid-wicket.

Suryakumar Yadav c Saim Ayub b Usman Tariq 32(29)

IND 159-5 (18.5)

18.2 - Shivam Dube dances down the track and slams the Usman Tariq delivery for a four down the ground. He manages to get a boundary off the spinner this time. It came right from the middle of the bat and the ball raced to the fence in no time.

Shivam Dube finally manages to connect one! It is an 88-metre six from the Indian southpaw. Abrar Ahmed dropped it short and Dube smoked it over the deep mid-wicket for a biggie. He follows it up with a single.

IND 154-4 (18)

Only four runs came off Usman Tariq's third over. He continues to remain economical. The spinner has conceded only 20 runs in his three overs so far. The pitch has become extremely slow, and timing the ball has become really tough.

IND 140-4 (17)

Mohammad Nawaz bowled it short, and Shivam Dube pulled it towards square leg for his first boundary. The southpaw took a single towards extra cover after that to retain strike. Nine came off the over.

IND 136-4 (16)

Saim Ayub missed his hat-trick by an extremely close margin! The ball spun away, missing Shivam Dube's outside edge as well as the stumps. This was a superb over from the Pakistan spinner. He conceded only two runs in it and scalped two wickets.

IND 127-4 (15)

Hardik Pandya is OUT on the very first ball he faces! It was bowled outside off‑stump by Saim Ayub. Hardik failed to time it well and found Babar Azam at long-off. Saim Ayub is on a hat-trick! Pakistan are back in the game!

IND 126-4 (14.3)

This was always coming! Tilak Varma was facing a lot of difficulty in timing the ball. He had to take the onus of scoring quick runs and perished in that attempt. Tilak went for a massive sweep but missed the ball. The umpire raised his finger over an LBW appeal. India are three down.

Tilak Varma lbw b Saim Ayub 25(24) 

IND 126-3 (14.2)

With a scoring rate of nearly nine, India are well in control of this game. Suryakumar and Tilak Varma have added 37 runs off 32 balls for the third wicket so far. India have enough batting firepower left, with Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel and Rinku Singh yet to come. They should now aim to accelerate and get as close to 200 as possible.

IND 125-2 (14)

A misfield from Shadab Khan gives India an easy boundary. Suryakumar Yadav swept the Mohammad Nawaz delivery towards backward square leg. Shadab ran well to reach the ball but spilled it, leaking a four.

IND 124-2 (13.4)

10 came off Usman Tariq's second over. This is a smart approach from India. Both Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma are playing sensibly. They are not taking any risks and are focusing on rotating the strike and taking this partnership deep.

IND 118-2 (13)

Suryakumar Yadav tried to play a sweep shot but missed the delivery from Mohammad Nawaz. The ball hit him on the leg, and Pakistan appealed for an LBW. The umpire wasn't convinced, but Pakistan went upstairs. To Surya's good luck, the ball was clipping the leg stump and the umpire's call saved him.

IND 107-2 (12)

11.1 - Tilak Varma has hit a six to Mohammad Nawaz. Class was written all over it. Nawaz bowled it fuller outside off-stump and Tilak lofted it over the extra cover for a biggie. Runs keep coming for India!

Usman Tariq bowled in his usual pause-and-deliver style. While Suryakumar Yadav seemed comfortable, Tilak Varma seemed to be struggling a bit with that bizarre bowling style. Thanks to the first-ball four by Suryakumar, India got six runs off the over.

IND 98-2 (11)

10.1 - Usman Tariq has been brought into the attack, and Suryakumar Yadav has welcomed him with a four. It was a good-length ball, and Suryakumar hit it into the gap between the long-on and deep mid-wicket fielders for the boundary.

Excellent over from Mohammad Nawaz. He has conceded only three runs in his first over. Ten overs done, and India have as many remaining in this innings. They should target at least another 80–90 runs in it.

IND 92-2 (10)

Just seven runs and the wicket of Ishan Kishan came in the over off Saim Ayub. The ball is holding and turning sharply on this track. Pakistan should aim to keep it tight now, as India are scoring close to 10 runs per over.

IND 89-2 (9)

OUT! Ishan Kishan has been cleaned up! He tried to create room for himself by moving towards the leg side, but the ball from Saim Ayub gripped and spun away fromm him, hitting the bail over middle and leg stump. Pakistan have got a much‑needed breakthrough!

Ishan Kishan b Saim Ayub 77(40)

IND 88-2 (8.4)

17 runs came off the first over of Shadab Khan. Ishan Kishan has put Pakistan completely under pressure with his sensational attack. India are cruising at the moment. The pitch is not that easy to bat on, but Kishan is doing the unthinkable.

IND 82-1 (8)

Shadab Khan has been brought into the attack, and Ishan Kishan has slammed his second delivery for a biggie over deep mid-wicket. Shadab follows it with a poor delivery down the leg side, and Kishan sweeps it away for a four to the right of short fine leg. He is simply unstoppable!

IND 77-1 (7.3)

Ishan Kishan reached his half-century in just 27 balls. He smashed Abrar Ahmed for consecutive fours at the start of the over to race to the mark. This is terrific piece of batting from the Indian southpaw. He is unbeaten on 55 off 31.

IND 65-1 (7)

Eleven came off Saim Ayub's second over. A brilliant counter-attack from Ishan Kishan saves India in the first powerplay. They have managed to score 52 despite losing Abhishek Sharma for a four-ball duck. Kishan is batting on 42 off 25 balls.

IND 52-1 (6)

It was just over the mid-on fielder. Saim Ayub cramped Ishan Kishan for room. It seemed similar to the dismissal of Abhishek Sharma, but the ball just had enough flight to get over Shaheen Afridi at mid-on.

IND 47-1 (5.4)

Ishan Kishan also scored a four later in the over off Abrar Ahmed. He pierced it through the gap between point and the extra-cover fielder. Eleven runs came off the over. Despite the ball holding a bit, India are scoring at a decent rate.

IND 41-1 (5)

Superb shot from Ishan Kishan for a SIX! Abrar Ahmed has been brought into the attack, and Kishan has welcomed him with a biggie. He slog-swept the fuller delivery over backward square leg. Superb piece of batting!

IND 36-1 (4.1)

A tight run it was, but Ishan Kishan is lucky that he has made it to the other end in time despite a direct hit. He tucked the ball to mid-on and tried to sneak a single, putting himself in some real trouble. The southpaw, however, put in a full-fledged dive to complete the run. Pressure is truly on India.

IND 30-1 (4)

Salman Agha bowls a flatter delivery outside off-stump and Ishan Kishan slices it. It was a miscue, and Kishan was lucky that the ball fell ahead of the long-off fielder. Nine runs came off the over.

IND 25-1 (3)

2.1 - Salman Agha bowls it a bit fuller and Ishan Kishan lofts it over the mid-on fielder for a four. This is the third boundary from the India southpaw. He is playing nicely despite losing his partner Abhishek.

Tilak Varma got an outside edge on the Shaheen Afridi delivery, but he was lucky to get away with a boundary. The ball flew to the left of the lone slip and ran away to the fence. This was an expensive over from Shaheen. 15 runs came off it.

IND 16-1 (2)

1.1 - Shaheen Afridi banged it short, and Ishan Kishan pulled it away powerfully for a 77‑metre six. Superb start to the over for India! They have lost Abhishek Sharma in the last over, but the intent is quite clear from Kishan at the other end; they will go for runs!

OUT! The tactic has worked for Pakistan! Their captain, Salman Ali Agha, has managed to get the big fish in the very first over. He decided to start with spin and took the responsibility himself. Agha bowled three dot balls to Abhishek before the southpaw perished, handing a miscue to mid-on.

Abhishek Sharma c Shaheen Afridi b Salman Agha 0(4)

IND 1-1 (1)

Salman Ali Agha bowls a short of length delivery and Ishan Kishan defends it on the front foot. The action begins at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.

The Pakistan fielders have dispersed onto the ground. Meanwhile, Indian openers — Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan — walk into the middle. The wicketkeeper is close to the stumps, and it is a spinner who will start the game for Pakistan! It is the captain, Salman Ali Agha, himself.

The players of India and Pakistan have lined up for their respective national anthems. Pakistan start first, and India follow them. We are less than five minutes away from the start of the game.

While Sanju Samson's ouster was certain with the comeback of Abhishek Sharma, one has to feel for Arshdeep Singh, who is India's highest wicket-taker in T20Is but fails to make it to the playing XI tonight. Focusing more on the spin attack, the Suryakumar Yadav-led side has roped in Kuldeep in place of pacer Arshdeep.

"We want to bowl first. It looks a bit tacky, so we feel it will assist the bowlers for the first few overs so we want to use that. We are relaxed in our group and excited for this challenge. Bigger ground than SSC and the pitch is slower than SSC. Same team for us," said Pakistan captain Salman Agha.

"Not at all, we were looking to bat first. We won last two games defending so we don't want to change it. It is an occasion, it's a high-stake game. This sport teaches you a lot of things, any side can win the game on a given day. Two changes. Abhishek Sharma comes in and Kuldeep Yadav is in for Arshdeep Singh," said India captain Suryakumar Yadav.

India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

Pakistan (Playing XI): Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Khan(w), Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq.

It is to note that there was no customary handshake between captains of India and Pakistan. Both Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Agha didn't look towards each other during the toss.

Pakistan captain Salman Agha has won the toss and opted to bowl against India in their T20 World Cup Group A match at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo tonight.

Rohit Sharma, India's 2024 World Cup‑winning captain, was spotted giving a pep talk to the Indian players ahead of the match against Pakistan at the venue. We are set for the toss now. It will take place in just two minutes from now. Are you ready?

The sky looks a bit clearer now. The conditions are no longer as overcast as they were. These are really good signs with just 10 minutes left for the toss to take place. Keep your fingers crossed, folks!

We have 24 minutes left for the toss to take place. The conditions continue to remain cloudy, and it has stopped raining at the moment. It was just a slight drizzle, which should not cause any concern. Indian singer Hanumankind is currently entertaining the crowd with his performance on the edge of the ground.

It is currently drizzling in Colombo, with just over 30 minutes remaining before the toss. The forecast predicts a high chance of rain (around 49-63%) in the hour leading up to the 6:30 PM toss.

While Abhishek Sharma is certain to replace Sanju Samson in the playing XI, India is expected to make another tactical change by bringing in spinner Kuldeep Yadav for pacer Arshdeep Singh. In that scenario, Jasprit Bumrah will share fast-bowling duties with Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube.

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands with his Pakistan counterpart, Salman Ali Agha, during the Asia Cup in 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attacks. Since then, Indian cricketers have maintained this stance during international competitions. As per various reports, the Indian team is set to maintain this stance during their T20 World Cup match in Colombo today as well.

India have not lost any T20I series or tournament they have played since their T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados in 2024. The side also maintained a clean sheet against Pakistan in the Asia Cup T20 last year, winning all three matches. In their most recent T20I series, Suryakumar Yadav and Co. outplayed New Zealand 4-1.

Pitch number four will be used for this high‑octane India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup Group A encounter tonight. If a right‑handed batter faces the Maligawatte End, the boundaries on the off side will become a bit longer. Point would be somewhere around 75m, with an additional four to five metres for the extra‑cover boundary. The leg side will be a bit shorter in this case, with square leg being around 68m and midwicket around 69m.

India Squad: Ishan Kishan(w), Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.

Pakistan Squad: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Khan(w), Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza, Khawaja Nafay.

"This ‘no shaking hands’ is such a silly thing that India has started. It’s unbecoming of a nation like ours. Either play properly within the spirit of the game or don’t play at all," Sanjay Manjrekar wrote on X.

This will be the first game for India outside their home in the ongoing T20 World Cup. On the other hand, Pakistan arrived in Colombo around half a month ago, but they too will be playing at the R Premadasa Stadium for the first time in this edition. The Salman Agha-led side played its previous two matches at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

Navjot Singh Sidhu heaped praise on India openers Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, while warning Pakistan about the impact the duo could make. "If these two stay for five overs, Pakistan ko jaan ke laale pad jayenge (Pakistan will have to fight for their lives)," said Sidhu on Star Sports.

There are some clouds over the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo at the moment, but the positive sign is that there is no rain. Let's hope it stays this way. Keep your fingers crossed, folks!

Usman Tariq has found himself at the centre of the build-up for the highly anticipated game game between India and Pakistan. Responding to a query regarding the spinner on the eve of the game, India captain Suryakumar Yadav came up with quite an honest response in the press conference. "Even if a question is out of syllabus you can't leave it. He's a different character but we can't surrender to him (Usman Tariq). We are all very excited," said Suryakumar.

Dark clouds of a possible washout are hovering over the contest. The weather forecast suggests that the chances of rain during the India vs Pakistan match are extremely high.

For a T20 contest to produce a result, a five-over-per-side contest is necessary. If this minimum requirement isn't fulfilled, the match will be abandoned. Such a situation would see both the teams sharing a point each as there is no 'Reserve Day' is in place for any of the group stage matches.

India and Pakistan have played a total of 16 T20I matches so far, with the defending champions winning 13 of them and losing just three. In T20 World Cup, India boast a dominating 7-1 record against their arch-rivals.

There is a lot of buzz around Usman Tariq, but former India captain Sourav Ganguly has termed him a regular off-spinner who releases the ball only after taking a pause in his delivery stride. "Nothing is difficult. He (Tariq) is an off-spinner, and he just bowls with a pause. He is an out-and-out off-spinner, and India will play him well," he told reporters on the eve of the India vs Pakistan match.

The condition at Colombo has become windy and overcast recently. The floodlights are reportedly on at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. However, crucially, there is no rain at the moment.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Suryakumar Yadav and the rest of the Indian team are not going to shake hands with their Pakistan counterparts today. As per the report, the no-handshake policy will continue before the toss and after the game, continuing the precedent set in the Asia Cup 2025.

Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam will undoubtedly have several eyeballs on him. The veteran batter has struggled for form of late, although he showed glimpses of his best in a 32-ball 46 against USA in their previous match. But will he be able to perform on the big stage against India? Pak captain Salman Ali Agha appeared unbothered by Babar's lack of runs.

"Babar Azam is not a concern for us. He has been scoring runs. And hopefully he'll score runs and help us tomorrow. We don't want to change the batting position too much," Agha said.

Pakistan are likely to stick with their spin-heavy approach that has brought them success in Sri Lankan conditions so far. As many as FIVE spinners could be in action for them today, meaning Pakistan could realistically bowl 20 overs of spin. Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq are expected to lead the spin attack, while all-rounders Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub are likely to chip in.

Abhishek Sharma was confirmed to return to India's playing XI, while Kuldeep Yadav stands a major chance following Suryakumar Yadav's press conference hint and given the spin-friendly conditions at Colombo. Possibly, spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar could also be in contention to enter the team in place of Shivam Dube or Rinku Singh.

However, with rain expected to play spoilsport, India could even opt for a last-minute switch.

Suryakumar Yadav not only confirmed that Abhishek Sharma would play today, but also hinted that left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav is likely to feature too. At the pre-match press conference, SKY made a cheeky remark.

"Do you want him to play? Okay then he will play," said the Indian captain.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed in the press conference yesterday that star opener Abhishek Sharma will feature in the playing XI against Pakistan. Abhishek missed India's previous game against Namibia due to a stomach illness.

The winner of the match between India and Pakistan will clinch their berth in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026. The loser, on the other hand, will need to win their final match to guarantee qualification. As a result, this match holds immense importance.

In visuals released from India's training session, India captain Suryakumar Yadav could be seen bowling with Usman Tariq's stop-start action in order to prepare the Indian batters. Abhishek Sharma and Rinku Singh could be seen facing SKY. 

Legendary India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin suggested prior to the match that India's batters should pull out from the ball in order to tackle Usman Tariq's stop-start action, citing that they are unable to anticipate the release of the delivery.

"If Tariq pauses before delivery, the batter has the right to move away. The batter can say, 'I don't know when the ball is coming, so I moved away'. I want to see who dares to do that," Ashwin said.

Undoubtedly, one of the major talking points heading into the game is Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq and his unorthodox stop-start action that has bamboozled batters recently. In 4 T20Is, Tariq has taken 11 wickets, dismantling Australia and the USA. However, his action has received widespread scrutiny, with several experts and fans questioning the legality of it. 

How the Indian batting unit deals with him today will be a fascinating prospect.

Here's a run-down of the events surrounding Pakistan's decision to boycott and then eventual U-turn ahead of their game against India:

- Pakistan boycott in support of Bangladesh, Pak government bars team from taking field against India

- Pak informed of potentially severe financial and sporting penalties by ICC

- PCB do not give ICC a formal reason for boycott, no grounds for Force Majeure

- Sri Lanka, UAE boards request Pak to play

- Pakistan, Bangladesh and ICC conduct meetings and "negotiations"

- Pak overturn boycott, but get multiple demands rejected by ICC, including intervention on India-Pak bilaterals

While there is a 13% chance of rain in the evening during the match, the probability of rain is much higher in the forecast before the game starts. However, at the moment there is no rain in Colombo. Let's hope it stays that way.

"India-Pakistan is just another game, because we are not here to beat Pakistan, we are hear to win," says India head coach Gautam Gambhir, in a snippet shown by the official broadcasters. A big statement!

Pakistan made a dramatic U-turn on their decision to boycott the match against India. Pakistan boycotted the match with a show of support for Bangladesh, who were replaced from the T20 World Cup for refusing to travel to India. 

However, Pakistan never formally informed the ICC their exact reason for a boycott, and soon learnt of the extensive financial and sporting penalties they could face if they went ahead with it. Then, after a few days of discussion between the PCB and the ICC, Pakistan's government overturned the boycott decision.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha also provided a cryptic response when asked whether his team would shake hands if the Indian players are ready to do it. "We will find out tomorrow," said Agha in the press conference.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav appeared to downplay the 'handshake' matter in the press conference on Saturday, hinting that Team India's focus was not on the toss time ritual. 

"Now wait for 24 hours for that. Why put so much focus on that? We have come to play cricket. We will play good cricket. We will take all those calls later tomorrow. Wait for it. Eat well and go to sleep," SKY said yesterday.

Suryakumar Yadav-led India refused to shake hands with their Pakistan counterparts during the Asia Cup 2025 after the Pahalgam terror attacks, setting a precedent that has since taken place in every India-Pakistan cricket encounter since. But will today mark the first time the players of two sides shake hands? Well, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha have both remained tight-lipped about.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the T20 World Cup 2026 on NDTV Sports. It's the big day. India take on Pakistan in their Group A encounter in Colombo, and the stakes are massive, given the multitude of storylines heading into the game.

Stay tuned for all the live updates from the match.