T20 World Cup 2026: Ishan Kishan aces trial by spin in Colombo to help India floor Pakistan
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Ishan Kishan (SOURCE: BCCI)
Published - 15 Feb 2026, 10:04 PM• Read time - 2 mins
On a turning track that demanded precision and a touch of bravery, Player of the Match (POTM) Ishan Kishan supplied both and helped India floor Pakistan in their T20 World Cup encounter on February 15.
His blistering 77 off 40 balls in Colombo was the defining act of India’s statement win, a knock that stood apart not just for its fluency but for its defiance of conditions that humbled almost everyone else.
Pakistan’s spinners extracted 2.6 degrees of turn out of the R Premadasa surface, enough to make even established players of spin look tentative. And they did. Tilak Varma laboured his way to 25 off 24. Suryakumar Yadav needed 29 balls for his 32. Abhishek Sharma lasted four deliveries. Hardik Pandya was gone first ball. The surface was gripping, holding, and demanding restraint. However, Ishan chose a different response.
His intent was visible the moment he arrived at the crease. India had just lost Abhishek for a duck, and the situation called for consolidation. Instead, Ishan picked up a short ball off Shaheen Shah Afridi and launched it over deep square leg for a clean, emphatic six that set the tone for everything that followed. It was a shot that announced he was not going to let the pitch dictate terms.
Despite the sharp turn on offer, Ishan went after the spinners and ripped them to shreds. He struck Saim Ayub for three boundaries, punished Abrar Ahmed with four fours and a six, smashed Shadab Khan for a four and a six, and even found a boundary off Salman Agha. His footwork was precise, and his willingness to take risks was unwavering.
His dismissal came only to a moment of genuine quality. Backing away to carve room on the off side, he was undone by a delivery from Saim that drifted in, pitched outside leg, bounced more than expected, and clipped the bail.
He walked off with India at 89, a platform that would carry them to 175, a total that proved well beyond Pakistan.
The contrast between innings was stark. The pitch turned 1.7 degrees in the second innings, yet Pakistan still folded for 114 in 18 overs. The gap between the sides was defined by one innings, and it was of Ishan’s.
For a player who was not even in the selectors’ initial World Cup plans, this knock felt like a culmination. A prolific Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign forced his way back into contention; in Colombo, he validated that faith under the brightest spotlight.
