Ishan Kishan, on Sunday (February 15), played a stunning knock with the bat to put India in the driver’s seat against Pakistan in the 27th match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
While batsmen from both the teams struggled to play their shots on a sluggish and slow pitch at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Ishan Kishan played a blinder. Even though Abhishek Sharma was out for a duck, the wicketkeeper-batsman played his usual aggressive game and smashed a whirlwind fifty to put India on the front foot.
Also Read: Shivam Dube furious at Rinku Singh after being Run Out against Pakistan
Ishan Kishan smashed blazing fifty:
Ishan Kishan got going with a stunning six off Shaheen Afridi in the second over of the innings and did not look back after that. He played the big shots right from the start on a tough pitch and went on to hit a record 27-ball fifty. His 27-ball fifty is now also the fastest fifty in a India vs Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup.
He eventually scored 77 runs off just 40 balls. His impressive knock was studded with 10 fours and 3 sixes. No other Indian batter could score more than 32 runs in the innings. Thanks to Kishan’s knock, India posted a challenging total of 175/7 in the allotted 20 overs.
Mohammed Siraj’s heartwarming gesture for Ishan Kishan:
A heartwarming incident was witnessed when Kishan was receiving treatment on the field during his knock. In the 8th over of the innings, he played a reverse sweep against Shadab Khan and seemingly hurt his knee as he fell awkwardly.
While he was lying on the ground and getting treated, a beautiful moment of sportsmanship stood out thanks to Mohammed Siraj. The Indian pacer was not a part of the playing eleven for the match and walked out with the drinks while Kishan was down.
As the physio was busy with Kishan, Siraj stepped in with a beautiful gesture. Sensing the discomfort of the hard surface beneath, Siraj placed a towel under Kishan’s head to make him more comfortable. He was not done yet. Noticing mud and dirt around Kishan’s face and hair, he also gently brushed it aside with his towel.
Watch:
Ishan was in pain 😭 but the way Siraj placed a towel under his head and gently dusted the dirt off afterward 😭😭 Siraj cutie 😇❤️ pic.twitter.com/3hIFlH7ntf
— PK (@PK23032) February 15, 2026
India outplay Pakistan:
Talking about the match, India completely outplayed Pakistan to extend their winning run and seal a place in the next round. The reigning champions thrashed Pakistan by 61 runs to register their third win in a row. Chasing 176 runs, Pakistan never looked in contention and were eventually all out for just 114 runs.
Hardik Pandya gave India a strong start by dismissing Sahibzada Farhan in the very first over before Jasprit Bumrah sent back Saim Ayub and Salman Agha in the second over. Pakistan just could not recover from those early setbacks and kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
