India (175/7) dominate Pakistan (114) with a commanding 61-run victory in an anti-climactic T20 World Cup 2026 clash

[Rana]

Every team batting first here has won

 

[mango_bite77]

No Handshake

 

[hamzie]

Rohit's lost so much weight
Crazy

 

[RidiculousMan]

Kuldeep and Abhishek in. As expected.

This means Dube and Pandya will be bowling the new ball. But right now Pakistan have to get Indian openers out.

 

[Asif321]

Same team as expected . No handshake both captain had poker face at toss . Look pathetic .

 

[hassan918]

Abhishek is back for India

 

[Bhaijaan]

No handshake at the toss

 

[RidiculousMan]

Every team batting first here has won

I also think it is a bit of a mistake. If India posts over 150 here, it is nearly game over.

 

[Red-Indian]

Looks like Pakistan is worried about the dew factor. Else it's far less pressure in these games to bat first

 

[mrtaim3]

Should have batted first

 

[imshally81]

Same team as expected . No handshake both captain had poker face at loss . Look pathetic .

Salman agha his best at the poker face

 

[jamie smith fan]

I also think it is a bit of a mistake. If India posts over 150 here, it is nearly game over.

Keep belief.
Anything under 170 is chasable

 

[DeadlyVenom]

very bad decision to have a bowl

 

[Energy]

Bad decision to chase. Even if the bowlers (at their best) keep India to 150, the batting is far too fragile and will make a meal of the chase.

 

[imshally81]

Pakistan should bat first here

 

[PakFan2010]

Shaheen is going to get taken to the cleaners.

 

[Asif321]

The energy is so negative these games shouldn’t happen

 

[mango_bite77]

Keep belief.
Anything under 170 is chasable

Mai chune basan. Batting 1st has better record

 

[Nikhil_cric]

very bad decision to have a bowl

Night matches at Premadasa

Won while chasing - 21
Won while batting first - 8

It's not very straightforward I guess.

 

[Asif321]

Bad decision to chase. Even if the bowlers (at their best) keep India to 150, the batting is far too fragile and will make a meal of the chase.

Expected from Pakistan to do something stupid in big games

 

[prash88]

With Bumrah in death and Varun and Kuldeep in middle , 160+ is enough to win the game for India...

 

[Bhaijaan]

The energy is so negative these games shouldn’t happen

I agree

 

[boomboomcheema]

This is a bat first tournament in SL, Pakistan barely able to chase against Netherlands and they opt to chase against India.

 

[Red-Indian]

If India were intending to bat first anyway, maybe we should've kept Arshdeep. If the dew's bad, spinners will find it tricky.

 

[AAli98]

USA run rate is same as Paks pak should not let there r/r take a hammering. Its going to be a must win game v Namibia

 

[Kianig89]

Bizarre to bowl first, clearly that's not our strength.
BCCI remained rigid no handshake , pathetic

 

[Asif321]

What’s the deal with no handshake ? Why bother to play then . This is pathetic watching faces of captains at toss look so ugly . It’s like they have been forced to come there

 

[Inswinging Yorker]

140 and more will challenge pakistan batters.

 

[RidiculousMan]

This dimension is made for SKY and Salman.

 

[globetrotter]

A loud cheer when Salman's name was called. Louder than SKY!

COLOMBO is supporting PAKISTAN! Same Team!

Trump told them

 

[hassan918]

Weather looks pleasant to play cricket. I hope the rain stays away and we have a full game.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

170. Below that and advantage PAK. Anything above that, advantage India

 

[Kianig89]

So all our strategy is UsmanTariq to wreck havoc on Indian batting, not that easy it is

 

[zahid01]

Pathetic team selected one seamer faheem won't bowl spinners need to perform here today otherwise big phainty coming up

 

[RidiculousMan]

Keep belief.
Anything under 170 is chasable

Stats, Records, Form, Conditions and Opposition says otherwise.

 

[PakFan2010]

Open the bowling with Usman Tariq.

 

[batandballbattle]

opting to chase could backfire here, 170 or above and it becomes difficult

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Shocking decision to field first in a Hugely anticipated Pressure game.

Maybe Pakistan are feeling the pressure and didnt fancy batting?

 

[Chuggy]

No handshake at the toss

Guys get over this. It will never be the same again

 

[Bhaijaan]

Salman Agha looked visibly hurt at once again not getting a handshake from Sky.

Such negative energy in the room bro. It pains me to see this.

 

[prash88]

50+ in PP ll ensure 160+. Game can be won there. Let's see if Abhishek/Kishan get it or flops...

 

[Red-Indian]

Open the bowling with Usman Tariq.

A spinner will open without a doubt. I expect it'll be Saim Ayub though.

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Night matches at Premadasa

Won while chasing - 21
Won while batting first - 8

It's not very straightforward I guess.

Ok. Makes sense on why they opted to bowl. If theres no turn, chase should br easy

 

[Kianig89]

So Pakistan spin heavy and bowling first , quite strange

 

[hassan918]

India will score 190+

That would surely be a match winning total for them.

 

[Asif321]

Faheem got Sharma last time . So can try him

 

[globetrotter]

Colombo looks like Singapore

 

[Hellion]

Bharatiya fans should stop with this nonsense and putting our players under pressure.

Either don't play them or shake their hands . No need to do this garbage.

 

[castortroy]

When was the last time pak beat India defending a total?

 

[Prince of Dorne]

I hope our Dhurandars in Pak team are ready to accomplish their mission..!!!

Absolutely, jitne ke baad sab ko doodh-soda meri taraf se

 

[Kianig89]

First tgt is to get the Indian openers early

 

[hassan918]

So Pakistan spin heavy and bowling first , quite strange

Not very strange as they did the same in their last game and it proved pretty successful for them. All their spinners are different with plenty of mystery so it will be exciting to watch them against the powerful Indian batting.

 

[sweep_shot]

No handshake again.

If Indian team do not respect Pakistan, why are they eager to play Pakistan? Very shameless from India.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Bharatiya fans should stop with this nonsense and putting our players under pressure.

Either don't play them or shake their hands . No need to do this garbage.

I agree with this.

Honestly thought we would shake hands today but this action of Sky visibly made Salman Agha upset.

Agha ji is a good man at heart.

 

[Kianig89]

Not very strange as they did the same in their last game and it proved pretty successful for them. All their spinners are different with plenty of mystery so it will be exciting to watch them against the powerful Indian batting.

Let's hope otherwise , the obvious reason will be the toss blunder

 

[Sunny_majoka]

At Dubai they were batting first where they should have bowled and here again did the opposite of what should have been done

 

[Dr_Bassim]

I think Pakistan were scared if they collapse, game over in 1 hour.

At least this way game keeps on for 3 hours unless India collapses.

 

[Shafi]

Current Pakistan team hasfull of useless tuktuker and parchis. Hopefully it will end Babar, Salam,Usman Shaheen, Nawaz and Shadab. Pakistan is not serious to win Cups, select players based on favoritism and so-called big name but no output.

 

[Kianig89]

We should have backed Saim and Farhan to give us a good start, difficult to understand this toss decision

 

[Mesozoic]

When was the last time pak beat India defending a total?

Never

 

[Sherazkhalid]

Bad team, just one out of form fast bowler, I see India getting 100 runs in first 6 overs. What were they thinking? We luckily left one match winner out of the team and now we are only going with the premium fast bowler, smh

 

[RidiculousMan]

I expecting opening the attack will be the usuals. Shaheen and Saim. Followed by Faheem and Abrar.

 

[Asif321]

I think Pakistan were scared if they collapse, game over in 1 hour.

At least this way game keeps on for 3 hours unless India collapses.

Seems so and I guess they lost all 3 games vs India batting first in Asia cup

 

[RidiculousMan]

Bad team, just one out of form fast bowler, I see India getting 100 runs in first 6 overs. What were they thinking? We luckily left one match winner out of the team and now we are only going with the premium fast bowler, smh

Don't be so pessimistic. InShaAllah boys will do well.

 

[Prince of Dorne]

Dhurandhar is checking the Elbow of chucker Tariq .

Usman Chakait

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Ok. Makes sense on why they opted to bowl. If theres no turn, chase should br easy

170 is competitive. 180 is a win. India have to bat out of their skins on this ground and reach that score.

Calculated aggression in PP and run those twos afterwards.

Hitting at the death was really hard in the previous match.

 

[hassan918]

Keep belief.
Anything under 170 is chasable

Yes, Pakistan should restrict India under 170 to have a real chance of winning this one.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Pathetic from Indian team again to throw spirit of the game away with no handshakes

 

[harshjoshi87]

Relax guys an inconsequential match, both teams are qualifying for the next stage irrespective of today's result.

Good to see Kuldeep back.

 

[Deewana Mastana]

Hai jazba junoon toh himmat na haar

 

[Shafi]

Agha should not be in ODI, let alone in T20 as captain. This guy has no personality with timidness like kitten.

 

[castortroy]

170 is competitive. 180 is a win. India have to bat out of their skins on this ground and reach that score.

Calculated aggression in PP and run those twos afterwards.

Hitting at the death was really hard in the previous match.

140 will be a win for India. Pak won't be able to chase that

 

[Sherazkhalid]

Don't be so pessimistic. InShaAllah boys will do well.

We will know soon if I am being pessimistic or a realist, sometimes these guys just lose their marbles, plus Dubai WC was the only time we had our opening bowlers going all guns blazing against India, other than that don't recall any in recent times as far as WC 2003.

 

[GLORY OF '92]

Pakistan chasing is always a stupid decision. 90% in Indian favour now.

 

[PakFan2010]

How many Pakistan players would get into this Indian team?

I can't think of a single player.

 

[sweep_shot]

140 will be a win for India. Pak won't be able to chase that

Pakistan should chase down 160-170 comfortably.

They have the winning momentum.

 

[big_gamer007]

Pakistan batting looks thin, too many all rounders. Should have played a specialist batsman instead of one all rounder.
They need top 3 to perform well to have any chance of chasing.

Indian team looks solid, but is top heavy as well. Either of Abhishek or Ishan needs to bat till 10-12th over to score unreachable target for Pakistan.

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Only thing pak won against India in a t20 wc was while chasing, they must be seeing a better hope that way plus rain chances

 

[Red-Indian]

170 is competitive. 180 is a win. India have to bat out of their skins on this ground and reach that score.

Calculated aggression in PP and run those twos afterwards.

Hitting at the death was really hard in the previous match.

Yeah Powerplay is utterly crucial

 

[zahid01]

Salman mirza has been our best t20 seamer yet they have benched him how is that fair on the lad