Pakistan faltered to a crushing defeat at the hands of arch-rivals India in their T20 World Cup 2026 group stage match on Sunday, February 15. The 61-run loss in Colombo has left their Super 8 hopes hanging by a thread.
India posted a strong 175 for 7 after being asked to bat. Ishan Kishan led the charge with a brilliant 77 off 40 balls, taking on the bowlers from the start.
Shivam Dube played a handy knock in the middle overs, while captain Suryakumar Yadav added useful runs to push the total to a challenging score.
Pakistan’s chase never really took off. Babar Azam and Sahibzada Farhan failed again, putting the team under early pressure in a must-win game.
Usman Khan fought back with a spirited 44, and Faheem Ashraf tried to add some late runs, but the target proved too big in the end.
What Pakistan Need to Qualify
Pakistan now have four points from three matches. The USA also have four points, but from four games, which keeps the race open.
However, Pakistan are currently below USA in the points table because of an inferior Net Run Rate. A shock defeat to Namibia would knock them out of the tournament.
The equation is simple now. Pakistan must at least avoid defeat in their final group match against Namibia on February 18.
A win against Namibia will guarantee them a place in the Super 8s. Even if the match is washed out, Pakistan will get one point and still move through.
Meanwhile, India have already qualified for the Super 8 stage and are likely to top the group. Their final group game is against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad.
Elsewhere in the tournament, West Indies have secured qualification, while South Africa are on the verge of joining them. Nepal, Oman, and Namibia have already been eliminated.
For Pakistan, everything now comes down to one game. One bad day against Namibia, and their World Cup campaign could end early.