COLOMBO: Head coach Mike Hesson admitted Pakistan’s players were hurting in the dressing room after their crushing 61-run defeat to arch-rivals India in Colombo on Sunday.

India dominated the T20 World Cup Group A match which had been in doubt until a few days ago when the Pakistan government cleared the team to play.

India, the defending champions, posted a fighting 175-7 after they were sent in to bat on a tacky R. Premadasa stadium pitch before they routed Pakistan for 114.

“There’s a pretty disappointed dressing room in there at the moment, because they know how much it means to Pakistan,” said Hesson, who was in charge for his fourth defeat in a row to India following three at last year’s Asia Cup.

“We know that it’s a huge event, Pakistan against India. We obviously won five games on the bounce before today so we were confident, but today we got outplayed,” said Hesson.

Ishan Kishan’s brilliant 77 helped India recover from a first-over dismissal of explosive opener Abhishek Sharma before Suryakumar Yadav (32) and Shivam Dube (27) lifted the total.

Pakistan slumped to 13-3 with India’s Jasprit Bumrah removing Saim Ayub (six) and skipper Salman Agha (four) in the second over.

Usman Khan top-scored with 44 as Pakistan were bowled out in 18 overs, with 114 their third lowest total against India in all T20s.

Hesson defended the decision to bowl first at a stadium where three previous matches were won by the team batting first.

“I think the ball was spinning quite a lot initially and we started off well but I think the way Kishan played, he took the game away from us.” India’s third win in as many games took them to the Super Eights stage while Pakistan now need to win their last game against Namibia on Wednesday.

The defeat further worsened Pakistan’s win-loss record in World Cups against India to 1-8. They have lost all eight matches to India at the ODI World Cup.

“We have to pick ourselves up and make sure that we’re very good in two or three days,” said Hesson. “We have played some good cricket in the lead-up to this World Cup so we’re confident to do well in the tournament.”

Patel Hails Kishan

Meanwhile, India vice-captain Axar Patel credited Ishan for his side’s rout of Pakistan, saying the opening batsman’s performance on a tricky turning wicket had been “one of the gear knocks”. Kishan hit 10 fours and three sixes in his 40-ball knock.

“The way he batted was sensational,” Patel told reporters. “It is one of the great knocks as it wasn’t easy. The ball was spinning and some were going straight under the lights. It was a challenge.”

Following the crushing win in the most high-profile game in the competition, India are through to the second round with a game remaining.

Wicket-keeper-batsman Kishan has scored two half-centuries in three games in the competition.

He was recalled after being in the wilderness for more than two years and made a statement against New Zealand with a hundred in a T20 international a fortnight ago.

“His form was sensational in domestic cricket and he carried that into the New Zealand series and then to the World Cup,” said Patel. “There’s a lot of confidence and obviously he has got skill too. He has not hit all his shots in one place as he can score all around the ground.”

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2026