Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousaf has delivered a scathing assessment of Pakistan’s senior players following their crushing 61-run defeat to India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match in Colombo, saying it is time to move on from Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan.
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Pakistan were comprehensively beaten at the R. Premadasa Stadium as India tightened their grip on this T20 World Cup rivalry. The win took India vs Pakistan head to head record in the tournament at 8-1, further underscoring their dominance on the global stage.
The extent of the defeat prompted Yousaf to take to social media where he openly questioned the continued presence of the experienced trio in Pakistan’s T20 set-up. “The time for Shaheen, Babar and Shadab is up. Pakistan’s T20 unit needs new performers, not empty wins against weaker sides,” Yousaf wrote.
The criticism followed crushing returns from the trio in a pressure contest that again exposed Pakistan’s weaknesses against top-flight opposition.
Babar Azam endured a disappointing outing at the top of the order. Chasing a challenging total, Pakistan needed their opening batsmen to anchor the innings. Instead, Babar managed just 5 runs off 7 deliveries before getting to Axar Patel. The early dismissal left Pakistan on the back foot and sparked anger among supporters who had expected a much bigger contribution.
Shadab Khan had a tough night in Colombo as he failed to impact the contest with bat or ball. He conceded 17 runs in his only over, a costly spell that allowed India to maintain momentum during the middle stages. Later, when he was given a key role in the middle order, Shadab hit 14 off 15 deliveries but struggled to turn the strike or find boundaries as the required pace continued to rise. His failure to step up at the crucial moment added to Pakistan’s growing problems in the chase.
Shaheen Shah Afridi had an off day with the ball. The left-armer bowled just two overs and gave away 31 runs, allowing India to maintain momentum through the middle stages of the innings. Pakistan’s bowling attack never fully recovered from this spell and India capitalized.
INDIA CRUSH LISTLESS PAKISTAN
Earlier in the evening, Ishan Kishan’s powerful knock took India to 175 for 7 on a tacky surface in Colombo. The young opener broke into Pakistan’s all-spin strategy with a breathtaking 40-ball 77 that set the tone for the innings. Pakistan opted to deploy a six-pronged attack and used slow bowlers for 18 of the 20 overs in the hope that the surface would help them.
The plan showed some early promise. India were 52 for 1 at the end of the over after Abhishek Sharma fell for a duck. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha opened the bowling himself and trapped Abhishek leg in front of the wicket, signaling an aggressive intent.
However, Kishan refused to be detained. He attacked both pace and spin, used the crease well and found boundaries with authority. The left-hander reached his half-century in just 27 balls and scored his second consecutive fifty in the tournament. At half-time, India had climbed to 92 for 2 and were firmly in control.
Saim Ayub produced a spirited spell of 3 for 25, dismissing Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya in quick succession to briefly drag Pakistan back into the contest. Still, India continued to build with Suryakumar Yadav scoring 32 and Shiva Dube adding 27. Although they didn’t make a dramatic late flourish, India still posted an impressive 175 for 7, a total out of Pakistan’s reach.
In response, Pakistan’s batting crumbled under pressure. Early wickets dented the chase and the middle order failed to recover. The required speed kept rising and the inning never gained momentum. Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 114 in 18 overs, giving India their third consecutive win in the tournament.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 15, 2026