After India’s emphatic 61-run victory over Pakistan in their Group A clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Player of the Match Ishan Kishan spoke about the challenges of batting on a difficult surface and the importance of trusting his natural game in a high-pressure encounter.

Speaking during the post-match presentation, Kishan, who smashed a brilliant 77 off 40 balls, admitted that the pitch was far from easy to bat on.

• “The wicket was not that easy. Sometimes you have to believe in yourself and focus on your strengths. I was watching the ball closely, sticking to my game and trying to run hard between the wickets,” Kishan said.

• The left-hander revealed that he has worked extensively on improving his off-side play to better control bowlers’ lines and scoring options.

  • “I have worked a lot on my off-side game so that I can make bowlers deliver where I want them to,” he added.

  Highlighting the importance of smart batting on a large ground, Kishan emphasised placement over power hitting.

  • “On big grounds, there are bigger gaps. The plan was to find those gaps and keep rotating strike. We knew a total around 160–170 would be competitive,” he explained.

  Calling the India-Pakistan rivalry special, Kishan said victories in such matches boost confidence for the remainder of the tournament.

  • “India-Pakistan is always a special game, not just for us but for the entire country. They had quality spinners, so winning this match gives us great confidence going forward.”

  He also praised India’s pace attack, particularly Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, for their disciplined bowling effort.

  • “The pacers bowled tremendously well. We all know how effective Bumrah can be with both the new ball and at the death. Credit to Hardik as well for bowling tight lines and executing his plans perfectly,” he said.

  India Post Competitive Total

  After Pakistan won the toss and opted to field, India posted a strong 175/7 on a challenging pitch. Kishan’s aggressive knock laid the foundation, while captain Suryakumar Yadav contributed 32 off 29 balls and Shivam Dube added a quick 27 off 17 deliveries to push the total to a competitive mark.

  For Pakistan, Saim Ayub was the standout bowler with figures of 3/25, while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Tariq and Salman Ali Agha chipped in with a wicket each.

  Pakistan Collapse in Chase

  Pakistan’s chase got off to a disastrous start as Sahibzada Farhan fell for a duck to Hardik Pandya. Jasprit Bumrah then struck twice in quick succession, removing Saim Ayub and captain Salman Ali Agha to leave Pakistan reeling at 13/3 inside two overs.

  Usman Khan attempted a counterattack, but Axar Patel dismissed Babar Azam cheaply before later removing Usman following a sharp stumping by Ishan Kishan. From there, wickets continued to tumble as Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and the rest of India’s bowling attack maintained relentless pressure.

  Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 114 in 18 overs, handing India a comprehensive 61-run victory. Axar Patel led the bowling effort with 2/29, while Hardik Pandya (2/16), Jasprit Bumrah (2/17) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/17) also played key roles in sealing a dominant win.