India rout bitter rivals Pakistan at T20 World Cup

Colombo, Sri Lanka – Defending champions India emphatically ended Pakistan’s hopes of progressing beyond the group stage, crushing their neighbours by 61 runs in a high-stakes Group A clash at the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday and booking their own berth in the Super Eight.

Electing to bat first under lights, India rode a blistering 77 from opener Ishan Kishan to post 175-7, a total that always looked commanding once their varied attack took the new ball. Pakistan’s reply unravelled in a blur of boundaries and wickets; they were dismissed for 114 inside 18 overs, leaving the margin of defeat at a bruising 61 runs.

The result extends Pakistan’s long-standing World Cup frustration against India. Across nine previous T20 World Cup meetings, India have now prevailed eight times, while they remain unbeaten in all eight ODI World Cup encounters between the sides. Sunday’s loss also guarantees that Pakistan cannot advance from the group, intensifying scrutiny on a side that arrived with high expectations.

Because of the political sensitivities between the nuclear-armed neighbours, India and Pakistan only meet in global tournaments at neutral venues. It has been more than 18 years since their last Test match and 13 years since either team crossed the border for a bilateral series, making each World Cup collision a rare and heavily charged affair.

With the win, Suryakumar Yadav’s India move into the Super Eight stage brimming with confidence, while Pakistan must regroup and await their final group fixture with only pride at stake.