Axar Patel press conference: “We see them as a team, we don’t see a rivalry” after India beat Pakistan
That early surge came despite a shaky start. After Abhishek Sharma fell for a duck, Kishan launched a counter-attack and smashed a brutal 77, off just 40 balls, which turned the tide immediately. Tilak Varma added a steady 25 before skipper Suryakumar Yadav (32) along with Shivam Dube (27) and Rinku Singh (11 not out) reached the composite target to lift India to 175/7. Saim Ayub (3/25) was the outstanding bowler for Pakistan with three wickets.If Kishan took the initiative, the Indian bowlers sealed the verdict. Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel tore through the top order to reduce Pakistan to 34/4 in the powerplay. Usman Khan struggled on his own with 44 but Varun Chakaravarthy and the rest ensured that Pakistan were 114 in 18 overs.Even former opener Virender Sehwag did not hold his own. “Ishan Kishan played like a true Dhurandhar. Among all the minnows, Pakistan looked the easiest to beat for Bharat because of their 17th century approach to T-20 cricket and they got a good fight as usual. Full kambal kuttai,” he wrote.The crushing win propelled India to a dominant 8-1 record in the history of the tournament and secured a place in the Super 8 with three straight wins.