ICC Men’s T20 World Cup: Ishan Kishan’s 77 powers India to 175/7 against Pakistan

On the eve of the marquee clash, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha had expressed his desire to face a full-strength Indian side and wished Abhishek Sharma a speedy recovery.

But on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, it was Ishan Kishan who stole the spotlight with a scintillating half-century, guiding India to a competitive 175/7.

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Put in to bat on a sluggish surface where the ball kept low, Agha opened the bowling himself and struck immediately. Abhishek attempted an ambitious loft but was caught at mid-on by Shaheen Shah Afridi, leaving India at 1/1.

Unfazed, Kishan counter-attacked brilliantly, launching Afridi for a six and dominating the Powerplay. Alongside Tilak Varma, he rebuilt the innings as India reached 51/1 in six overs.

Kishan took charge against Pakistan’s spin-heavy attack, which included Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq. He raced to a 27-ball fifty and eventually scored a superb 77 off 40 balls, hitting 10 fours and three sixes, before falling to Saim Ayub.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav then anchored the innings with a composed 32, while Ayub struck crucial blows, dismissing Tilak and Hardik Pandya off successive deliveries to put India under pressure.

At a critical juncture, Shivam Dube provided impetus with a quick 27 off 17 balls. Suryakumar fell late in the innings, but Rinku Singh finished strongly with an unbeaten 11 off four balls, pushing India to 175/7.

Earlier, Pakistan opted to field after winning the toss in a high-voltage encounter.

Brief Scores:

India 175/7 (Ishan Kishan 77, Suryakumar Yadav 32, Shivam Dube 27, Tilak Varma 25; Saim Ayub 3/25) vs Pakistan