India secured a comfortable place in the Super Eight stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup after defeating arch-rivals Pakistan by a convincing 61-run margin in the group stage clash. The high-voltage encounter took place at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, where Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first. India’s innings did not begin smoothly, as Abhishek Sharma was dismissed in the very first over. However, the momentum quickly shifted in India’s favor when opener Ishan Kishan took charge of the innings. He built a crucial second-wicket partnership with Tilak Varma, putting the Pakistani bowlers under constant pressure. Kishan delivered a brilliant knock, scoring 77 runs off just 40 balls, including ten boundaries and three sixes. His aggressive stroke play helped India accelerate their scoring rate and recover from the early setback. Later, captain Suryakumar Yadav joined Tilak Varma at the crease and added another valuable partnership that strengthened India’s total. A dramatic moment arrived in the 15th over when Saim Ayub struck twice in consecutive deliveries, dismissing Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya to create a hat-trick opportunity. Although he failed to complete the hat-trick, his spell briefly revived Pakistan’s hopes. After that, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube played cautiously and added useful runs. Suryakumar scored 32 off 29 balls before getting out, ending the partnership. In the final over, Shaheen Afridi conceded several runs but managed to take a wicket. At the end of the innings, India posted a competitive total of 175 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. Saim Ayub was the most successful Pakistani bowler with three wickets, while Salman, Usman Tariq, and Shaheen Afridi took one wicket each. Chasing the target, Pakistan suffered an early collapse. Opener Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed for a duck in the very first over. In the following over, Jasprit Bumrah struck twice, removing two more batters and putting Pakistan under severe pressure. Losing three wickets for a small total, Pakistan quickly fell behind in the chase. Captain Babar Azam and Usman Khan tried to stabilize the innings, but Babar was soon dismissed, ending any hopes of a strong recovery. By the end of the powerplay, Pakistan had already lost four wickets, leaving them in a difficult position. A brief resistance came from Usman Khan and Shadab Khan in the fifth-wicket partnership, but they failed to build a match-defining stand. Usman was eventually stumped after scoring 44 off 34 balls, effectively ending Pakistan’s chances. Soon after, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, and Abrar Ahmed also fell in quick succession. The Indian bowlers maintained relentless pressure and kept taking wickets at regular intervals. Pakistan’s innings eventually folded for just 114 runs, handing India a comprehensive 61-run victory and a confident entry into the Super Eight stage of the tournament.