Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: India’s march in the T20 World Cup 2026 gathered further momentum in Colombo as they outclassed Pakistan by 61 runs, reinforcing their dominance in the tournament’s most intense rivalry. It was India’s eighth win in nine T20 World Cup meetings against their neighbours, and the comprehensive result ensured qualification for the Super Eight stage with room to spare.Yet, while the scoreline reflected control and authority, the talking point after the final ball had little to do with numbers.
Moments after Pakistan were bowled out at the R. Premadasa Stadium, television cameras captured an animated exchange involving Hardik Pandya, captain Suryakumar Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav. As players lined up for the customary handshakes, Hardik appeared visibly charged up, gesturing toward Kuldeep in what seemed like a heated discussion. Tilak Varma watched on with concern before Rinku Singh stepped in, seemingly attempting to cool tempers.Speculation quickly swirled on social media, with fans debating whether frustration had spilled over despite the comfortable win.Suryakumar, however, moved swiftly to diffuse the narrative. The India skipper shared a light-hearted video on social media in which he is seen walking up to Kuldeep and hugging him warmly. He captioned it: “Gussa chodh do bhai”. The post instantly went viral.India had earlier set the tone through Ishan Kishan’s explosive 77 off 40 balls, an innings studded with boundaries that lifted the total to 176. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar ensured stability through the middle overs.The bowlers then dismantled Pakistan with clinical precision. Hardik struck in the opening over, while Jasprit Bumrah’s incisive spell derailed the chase. Axar Patel and Kuldeep tightened the screws as Pakistan’s middle and lower order folded under pressure.
