After all the drama and political noise off the field that briefly threw the marquee clash into limbo, the most anticipated match of the T20 World Cup will finally go ahead as planned. India and Pakistan will clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, with the excitement surrounding the rivalry largely undiminished by cricketing reasons.
Many would see India as firm favorites for this encounter due to their utter dominance of the fixture and their performance so far in this T20 World Cup has only added to that argument.
India started their campaign with a win over the United StatesSuryakumar Yadav plays a crucial innings to rescue the team from a precarious position and lead them to victory.
After that, India started firing and beat Namibia by 93 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. It was also their biggest win by runs in T20 World Cup history. Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya laid the platform with half-centuries after which the spinners came to the party to restrict their opponents.
Ishan Kishan’s stunning knock was the big show in India vs Namibia. (PTI Photo)
Pakistan, on the other hand, faced all sorts of problems against the Netherlands before Faheem Ashraf’s timely cameo got them over the line in a thrilling encounter. They followed that up with a much more clinical performance against the USA, making it two out of two so far in the tournament. Farhan’s batting has been one of the few positives of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup so far. (Photo: AP)
Sunday’s clash should be a high-voltage thriller. India, who are at the top of their game with a winning streak under their belt, will carry the momentum and have the upper hand in the match. Their dominance over Pakistan in international cricket over the past decade also gives them a psychological advantage.
However, going into this marquee clash, it is important to consider what India can do to secure a win. The Premadasa Stadium is where India have played for a very long time and the conditions are more familiar than foreign.
Here we take a look at India’s past performances at Premadasa and the trends that have emerged at the venue that could affect Team India’s outcome on Sunday.
How did India do in Colombo?
India have enjoyed remarkable success at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, becoming one of the most dominant sides at the venue. They have played 15 T20Is here since 2009, winning 11 and losing only four, underscoring their consistency by Sri Lankan standards.
The 2012 FIFA T20 World Cup highlighted India’s prowess as they won four out of five matches on the ground, with the only loss coming against Australia. Notably, apart from hosts Sri Lanka, only Australia managed to beat India at Premadasa, showcasing India’s fortitude and confidence playing at this iconic stadium in Colombo.
India’s T20I record at RPS in Colombo
- Matches – 15,
- Won – 11,
- Lost – 4
How much does India need in Colombo?
At the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the advantage was often that teams were chasing each other, highlighting the value of putting on the board. The average score in 51 T20Is at the venue is 152, with sides successfully chasing targets in 28 matches. However, in the ongoing tournament, the chase proved tricky as Ireland experienced twice and Australia once. The chasing teams have lost all three matches at Premadas in the ongoing competition.
The current tournament has seen a slightly higher average score of 158. India, in particular, have done well to reach more than 150, winning five out of six matches and coming first in Colombo. The pitch offers fair competition between bat and ball, making matches competitive. While a huge total may not be necessary, a score of around 165 or slightly higher could be enough to secure victory on Sunday, highlighting the importance of smart and calculated batting.
- India’s highest score in Colombo: 176/3 v Bangladesh (March 2018)
- India’s lowest score in Colombo: 81/8 v Sri Lanka (July 2021)
- India’s average score in Colombo: 157 from 15 matches
Spin to win?
Historically, pace and spin have shared the limelight in Colombo in T20Is. Pacers have taken 323 wickets while the spinners are close behind with 282 at the R Premadasa Stadium. Even in the ongoing tournament, both types of bowlers were equally successful. As for the spinners, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana have recently restricted the Irish batting while George Dockrell has taken three wickets for Ireland. Will Usman Tariq exploit India’s struggle against spin? (Photo: AP)
On Wednesday, leg-spinner Adam Zampa dismantled Ireland with a brilliant four-wicket haul. Among the pacers, Nathan Ellis impressed with four wickets against Ireland, making clever use of variations in pace, while Mark Adair claimed three wickets against Australia. Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans also made a strong impact as they combined to take seven wickets against the Aussies.
Both India and Pakistan boast quality spin attacks, but India’s pace, especially with Jasprit Bumrah back, gives them the edge. Meanwhile, much of the anticipation has also emerged Pakistani occultist Usman Tariqwhich many already expect to be the Salman Ali Agha-led side’s biggest asset against India.
Spin may not be the only thing that decides the match on Sunday, with the pacers likely to play a key role in determining the outcome.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 14, 2026