World Cup T20: India humbled Pakistan again
The left-hander scored a knock of 77 off 40 balls, while the rest of the Indian batsmen managed just 98 runs off 80 deliveries.From the very beginning, the characters were unmistakable. When Shaheen Afridi dug one at short, Kishan turned and sent it high into the stands. It was not reckless impudence. It was intentional. Shopping for spinners, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha opened the bowling himself and got rid of Abhishek Sharma, the batsman everyone was talking about before the match.What happened was a four-ball duck for Abhishek, who is yet to open his account in the T20 World Cup. Salman’s decision to open the bowling turned out to be a masterstroke. After three dot balls, Abhishek opted for a hoick but the delivery wasn’t there to pull and he misplayed it to mid-on where Shaheen completed an easy catch.Kishan soon understood that Pakistan wanted the surface to cause damage. His response was to stay in front of him.The spin arrived quickly and with it the actual examination. Off Salman Ali Agh and Saim Ayub, he found the turn immediately, the ball held and swerved to a length. Kishan responded not by retreating to the defensive, but by expanding his options. Strikes, pulls, reverses and reverses flowed in, forcing Pakistan’s fielders to constantly recalibrate.The fifty came off just 27 balls, pumped right back over the bowler’s head and told a story bigger than the numbers. This was Kishan, batting clearly, reading the lengths early and trusting his hands even if he didn’t always have his legs out. At one point, a cramp in his right leg might not have slowed him down much. If anything, it sharpened his resolve.Against Abrar Ahmed’s googly Kishan showed rare adaptability. When the length was full, he went straight. When it was short, he swung and burst through the gaps. Even the ill-timed strikes were safe, a testament to how deep Pakistan were forced to plant their field. The message was clear. Defense lines would not work.The most brutal phase came against Shadab Khan. The floating van in the middle disappeared into the crowd with a furious sweep. Another went down the leg and was penalized for the square. Pakistan’s plan to strangle India in the middle innings was dismantled ball by ball.What made the innings stand out was not just the move but the context. This was not a flat track designed for excesses. The pitch required patience but Kishan refused to be caught by it. He understood that momentum matters as much as runs in a high-pressure match between India and Pakistan. Every boundary broke faith, every six silenced Pakistani fans in the stands.His release was, fittingly, by craft rather than force. Saim Ayub slowed it down, pulled Kishan across the crease and let the surface do the rest. He gripped the ball, turned and clipped the top of the middle and legs. Pakistan celebrated with visible relief.But the damage was already done.Kishan returned to a standing ovation, his 77 off 40 balls completely changing the trajectory of the innings. On a pitch where piling up runs felt like wading through sand, he sprinted. In a match where margins are thin and conditions often dictate conditions, this was an innings that stood out. It was fearless without being reckless, aggressive without being careless. More than anything, it was a reminder that in the biggest games, the bravest batsmen don’t wait for conditions to improve. They bend them to their will.