Kamal Ghorui
India’s blockbuster T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan on February 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad not only delivered fireworks on the field but also set staggering digital records off it. JioStar, the official digital and broadcast partner of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, announced that the fixture recorded an unprecedented digital reach of 163 million, making it the highest for any ICC T20 World Cup match, surpassing even the 2024 final between India and South Africa. The scintillating performance by the Men in Blue also contributed to a 56% growth in reach over the India-Pakistan clash during the 2024 edition. Fans tuned in for a whopping 20 billion minutes of total watch time across all screens, reflecting immense engagement.
On the field, India made a ruthless statement, comfortably defeating Pakistan by 61 runs to secure a place in the Super Eight stage unbeaten. After electing to field first, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha’s surprise move to bowl in the opening over produced an early wicket, dismissing Abhishek Sharma. But Ishan Kishan immediately turned the tide with a power-packed display, asserting dominance from the start. Pulling Shaheen Shah Afridi for a six on the first ball, Kishan continued to attack, supported by Tilak Varma as India racked up 52 for 1 after six overs, Kishan contributing 42 off just 25 balls.Kishan’s blitz extended beyond the powerplay, hitting a 27-ball fifty and ending with a brilliant 77 off 40 balls, before being dismissed by Saim Ayub. Pakistan relied heavily on spin, using six spinners in the innings—the most ever by a team in a T20 World Cup and joint-most by a Full Member in a T20I. Saim Ayub impressed, removing Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya and finishing with 3 wickets for 25 runs, nearly claiming a hat-trick. India closed their innings at 175 for 7, bolstered by contributions from Suryakumar Yadav (32), Shivam Dube (27), and Rinku Singh (11).Pakistan’s chase never gained traction. Hardik Pandya dismissed Shahibzada Farhan for a duck, followed by Saim Ayub and Jasprit Bumrah dismantling the middle order. Even Salman Ali Agha and Babar Azam faltered under pressure, while Usman Khan’s 44 off 34 balls was the only bright spark. India’s bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah (2/17), Axar Patel (2/29), and Varun Chakravarthy (2/16), ensured Pakistan was bowled out for 114 in 17.5 overs, sealing a one-sided victory.Brief Scores:India: 175/7 (Ishan Kishan 77, Suryakumar Yadav 32, Shivam Dube 27; Saim Ayub 3/25)Pakistan: 114 all out (Usman Khan 44; Jasprit Bumrah 2/17, Axar Patel 2/29, Varun Chakravarthy 2/16)
