India Defeats Pakistan By 61 Runs, Qualifies for Super 8
India defeated Pakistan in both the women’s and men’s matches on 15 February 2026, securing a dominant T20 World Cup win and thrilling fans worldwide.
15 February 2026 turned into a memorable day for Indian cricket fans, with two big wins against Pakistan in women’s and men’s matches.
The day began in Bangkok, where the India A women’s team faced Pakistan A in the ACC Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026. India A played confidently with both bat and ball and controlled the match from the beginning. Although most attention was on the men’s game later in the evening, this strong win by the women’s team gave Indian fans a perfect start to the day.
In the evening, all eyes shifted to the high-voltage ICC Men's T20 World Cup clash between India national cricket team and Pakistan national cricket team. India batted first and scored a strong total of 176 runs. Ishan Kishan played an important knock of 77 runs off just 40 balls, giving India a solid base.
When Pakistan began chasing the target, Indian bowlers kept tight control. Wickets fell regularly, and Pakistan could not build partnerships. They were bowled out for 114 runs in 18 overs, giving India a huge 61-run victory. With this win, India became the first team to qualify for the Super 8 stage of the tournament.
Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy each took two wickets and played a key role in breaking Pakistan’s momentum. The pressure was visible, and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi reportedly left the R. Premadasa Stadium before the match officially ended.
There was also discussion about the handshake issue between the two teams. Since the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai, which was held after the Pahalgam incident and the following Operation Sindoor, players from both sides had avoided post-match handshakes. Before this match, India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav said there was no need to make it a big issue and asked people to wait and watch. Eventually, there was no handshake at the toss or after the match.
By the end of the day, India had defeated Pakistan twice — once in the women’s match and once in the men’s match. Fans described it as a festival-like moment. Celebrations were even reported in Afghanistan, where people burst crackers to celebrate India’s victory. Social media was filled with jokes and memes, especially because of the earlier controversy over whether Pakistan would play the match.
