India’s emphatic win over Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup drew widespread praise from the cricket fraternity, with former players and analysts hailing Team India’s dominant performance against their arch-rivals.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan captured the gap between the two sides on X: “India vs Pakistan cricket? Zameen. Aasman.” Ex-India player Wasim Jaffer also commented on Pakistan’s struggles, saying: “Pak fans after suffering yet another embarrassing defeat to India.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan lauded India’s temperament in big matches: “India seem to intimidate Pakistan on the cricket field … they are so much better in all facets of the game & have a much stronger mentality for big occasions.”
Ex-India batter Mohammad Kaif reflected on the head-to-head record: “Now I believe that the one Pakistan win in the 1-8 scoreline against India was also a fluke. Honestly.” Sri Lanka veteran Angelo Mathews praised India’s performance, adding: “Colombo was lit tonight, but India were too good for Pakistan. A convincing win by them.”
Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary wrote: “Rivalry! What Rivalry?? Another thumping win over Pakistan in an ICC event! It started off by Ishan Kishan and then finished it off easily with the bowlers! Well done #TeamIndia. On to the next one.” Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh echoed the sentiment: “Team India well done. India vs Pakistan is only hype, no contest. Fan-made rivalry, but one-way traffic on the field … again. JAI HIND.”
Cricket analyst Sanjay Manjrekar acknowledged Pakistan’s spin efforts but highlighted the gulf between the teams: “Pak spin made the match a little more interesting than usual, but the gap between the two teams remains … wide.” Former opener Aakash Chopra summed it up in one word on X: “8-1.” Ex-India batter Shikhar Dhawan praised the team’s character: “That’s how you show character on the big stage. Complete team effort. Big win.”
With this emphatic win, India now leads Pakistan 8-1 in T20 World Cup encounters.
Match Summary:
Pakistan chose to field first after winning the toss. After Abhishek’s early dismissal for a duck, Ishan Kishan’s 77 and Tilak Varma’s steady 25 kept India on track, though the team stumbled to 126/4 after losing key batters and all-rounder Hardik Pandya (0). Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh finished the innings strongly, with India posting 175/7. Saim Ayub was Pakistan’s top bowler, taking 3/25.
During the chase, Pakistan collapsed to 34/4 thanks to early strikes from Hardik, Jasprit Bumrah, and Axar Patel. Usman Khan’s 44 off 34 balls was the only notable resistance as India bundled Pakistan out for 114 in 18 overs, sealing their third consecutive win and a spot in the Super 8 stage.
Axar Patel was India’s pick of the bowlers with 2/29 in four overs. Hardik Pandya (2/16 in three overs), Bumrah (2/17 in two overs), and Varun Chakravarthy (2/17 in three overs) also contributed significantly.
India tops Group A with three wins from three matches, while Pakistan sits third with two wins and a loss. The USA currently occupies second place with two wins and two losses. (Agencies)
