PAK VS IND LIVE: Indian team strongly back 175 runs, pick up key wickets, Babar included

COLOMBO: Shaheens failed to give a satisfactory response while trying to chase India’s 176-run target, as Pakistan lost four of the early key wickets, with Babar Azam also picked up by Axar Patel after scoring only 5 off 7 balls, with victory in the PAK VS IND LIVE match now depending on the team’s middle order.

Earlier, the team’s Skipper Salman Ali Agha, also gave an unsatisfactory performance when he came to the crease to build a block against their archrivals’ bowlers. However, he managed only four as India’s fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who also dismissed Saim Ayub, didn’t allow him to put a big input into their team’s chase at the crease.

Pakistan’s opening line was also destroyed as Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub couldn’t manage a big input into the team chase against India in the Pakistan vs India clash of the T20 World Cup tonight. The team’s chase stood at six in the second over of their chase.

Currently, the Pakistani batters are at 43 in 7 overs, with the middle order and lower order remaining to create momentum and possibly chase the Indian 175-run total.

Shaheens fielding

Pakistan Shaheens played an inspirational innings after deciding to field first against India in the highly anticipated PAK VS IND clash tonight. Shaheens’ bowlers restricted their opponents to a 176-run target after picking up the key wicket of India.

Choosing to field first, Shaheens’ spinner Usman Tariq picked the 5th wicket, claiming the archrivals’ Skipper Suryakumar Yadav (32 off 29), as key other Pakistani bowlers spilt magic to destroy the Indian batting line, as Shaheens contained the opponents during the PAK VS IND clash.

Pakistan continued to play and destroy the Indian batteres from through the lower order. Earlier, Shaheens targeted India’s middle-order batters during the PAK VS IND clash tonight. The fallen wickets of the middle order included Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya.

Tilak Varma managed only 25 off 24 balls, while Pandya went for a duck, leaving the line in great desperation.

Yadav and Shivam Dube gave hopes of a longer stay at the crease, but the Greens bowlers went enough to crush them as well. Dube scored 27 off 17 while Yadav’s 32 included only three boundaries before targeted by Usman Tariq.

The highly anticipated Pak vs Ind first clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 began with a strong attack from Pakistani bowlers, destroying the Indian opening line, as Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan were dismissed.

Ishan Kishan scored 77 off 40 while his opening partner, Abhishek Sharma, went for a duck. With the departure of the Kishan, the team’s skipper Suryakumar Yadav stepped in to support Tilak Varma at the crease, amid huge pressure contained by the Shaheens bowlers.

Earlier, Pakistan elected to field first after winning the toss in the highly awaited clash against India tonight here. Pakistan’s toss record against India in T20 World Cup clashes is up to 4 out of 8 clashes of the same event.

The high-profile match is being played in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. After the toss, the Indian captain violated the spirit of cricket by refusing to shake hands with the Pakistani captain.

The Pakistan squad includes Salman Ali Agha, Sahibzada Farhan, Saeem Ayub, Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, and Usman Tariq

The Indian squad features Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Rinku Singh