In one of the most powerful encounters of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, India’s wicketkeeper-opener Ishan Kishan delivered a knock for the ages.
On a challenging pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Kishan smashed 77 runs off just 40 balls against arch-rivals Pakistan and turned the game on its head after an early setback. This was his first ever T20I appearance against Pakistan and he ensured a spectacular success.
Early crisis and immediate counterattack from Ishan Kishan
The stage was set for a classic clash between India and Pakistan, but the start wasn’t ideal for the Men in Blue. After Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss and elected to bowl first, India lost the world’s top T20I batsman Abhishek Sharma in the first over for their second duck of the tournament.
Most batters would have been caught in a grenade. Ishan Kishan did the opposite. When he met Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first ball, he rocked back and flicked it over the striker’s square leg for a massive six. It was a statement of intent that resonated in the stadium.
At the end of the power play, Kishan had a lead 42 from just 25 balls– the highest individual powerplay score by an Indian in a T20I between India and Pakistan, surpassing Shubman Gill’s previous mark of 35 in the 2025 Asia Cup.
Decimating Pakistan’s spin-heavy strategy
What really made Kishan’s innings special was the conditions and the tactics of the opponent. Colombo’s surface was sticky, the ball caught and spun. Pakistan recognized this and adopted an aggressive spin bowling strategy five overs of spin in the powerplay– only the 13th time in the history of the T20 World Cup that a fifth over of spin has been bowled in this phase–1.
Kishan was unimpressed. He took on Salman Agha’s offies, Abrar Ahmed’s variations, Shadab Khan’s leg-spin and Saim Ayub’s part-time spin with equal disdain–6.
His ability to switch between back-foot shots and front-foot shots kept bowlers guessing. Netizens later joked that Pakistan was “preparing for Abhishek but Ishan Kishan came out of the syllabus.” –4.
The 27-ball fifty and the records fell
Kishan barely reached his half-century 27 balls—The Third fastest fifty in India-Pakistan T20I history. Only Mohammad Hafeez (23 balls) and Abhishek Sharma (24 balls) have scored faster fifties in this rivalry. He did it with a boundary off Abrar Ahmed in the seventh over, his second consecutive fifty in the tournament after a 61-run blitz against Namibia.
At the time of his dismissal, Kishan had scored one goal 85% of the team’s runs, with India at 88 for 2 in 8.4 overs – roughly 20 runs over par for these challenging conditions–1–6. His 77-run knock is now the Third highest individual score by an Indian against Pakistan in T20Isonly behind Virat Kohli’s legendary 82 not out (Melbourne 2022) and 78 not out (Colombo 2012)–7.
What this innings means for Ishan Kishan
This knock was more than just runs. Just over a year ago, Kishan was out of the Indian T20I setup after being dropped from the BCCI Central contract in early 2024.
He spent the time away from the game working on his fitness and mindset.
His comeback story is remarkable. He emerged as the Best run scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, led Jharkhand to the title.
He scored his first T20I century against New Zealand last month–3.
He has now done it in three World Cup games 158 runs at an average of 52.66 and a strike rate of 197.50
Former India batsman Aakash Chopra summed it up perfectly when he said Kishan “played like a million bucks” and that his form was crucial for India to go into the clash with Pakistan with authority.
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Cricket bat for practice – Practice your strokes inspired by Kishan’s clean stroke.
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Source of information
This article has been compiled from several authoritative sports publications regarding the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026: