Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma

NEW DELHI: Amid the poor run of form of opener Abhishek Sharma in the T20 World Cup, India captain Suryakumar Yadav on Saturday backed the explosive batter, saying “it’s now our turn to cover for him”.“Abhishek Sharma ki form ki jo chinta kar rahe hain, unki chinta mai kar raha hu. (I am worried for those who are worried about Abhishek Sharma’s form),” Surya said in the pre-match press conference in Ahmedabad.“He covered for us all year, now it’s our turn,” the India captain added ahead of the Super 8 clash against South Africa on Sunday. In the three matches he has played so far in the T20 World Cup, Abhishek Sharma has failed to score a single run and has been dismissed for a duck in all three matches vs USA, Pakistan, and the Netherlands in the group-stage. The prolific opener with a monstrous strike rate of 192-plus is enduring a sudden lean patch, which can primarily be attributed to his return to competitive cricket less than a week after hospitalisation.The slow pitches haven’t helped his cause either.So far, the team’s collective might has successfully ensured that results are not impacted but with the Super Eights set to take off on Saturday, it would be crucial that his bat talks loudly. India take on South Africa on February 22 in their opening match of the stage.Earlier, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel also backed the left-handed batter on Friday and said the left-hander was just one innings away from getting back in the zone.Absolutely no discussion in our team group about that,” said Morkel about Abhishek’s three ducks.“He is a world-class player. We are going to a very important phase of the World Cup now and I am sure he is going to deliver.“I am pretty sure he is hitting the ball in the nets. “It is just a matter of getting the start and getting the innings going.”

Ahmedabad: India may have ended the league phase of the World Cup unbeaten, but there are a few glitches they need to iron out before taking on much stronger sides in the Super 8 stage. India’s catching has been below par, but the most glaring shortcoming has been their batters’ failure to dominate spin, a concern that has also contributed to their home Test defeats in recent years. Two major reasons India have been bogged down by rival spinners—especially off-spinners—have been the presence of so many left-handers in the lineup and the poor form of explosive opener Abhishek Sharma, who has registered three consecutive ducks.

So far in the tournament, India have faced 42 overs of spin, scoring 315 runs at a run rate just above seven. Spinners have already accounted for 15 Indian wickets. On Wednesday, Dutch off-spinner Aryan Dutt returned figures of 2/19 in four overs. Thriving on some fine spells by their spinners, Associate teams like the USA and the Netherlands have given India a scare before eventually going down. India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate acknowledged that teams were targeting them with finger spin, particularly given that the Men in Blue have several left-handers in the lineup. The entire top three (Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma) are left-handed, while Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, and Axar Patel add to that count. “The Dutch guys took pace off the ball a lot of the time. And obviously teams are bowling a lot of finger spin to us, with so many left-handers in our lineup. That is a challenge. It has made it easier for the opposition. We don’t have many options. We’ve got Sanju sitting on the side,” ten Doeschate said. It is a problem area India need to address before their Super 8 opener against South Africa here on Sunday. The Proteas boast quality spin options in captain Aiden Markram, George Linde, and Keshav Maharaj. Even West Indies and Zimbabwe—the other teams in their group—are well stocked in the spin department and pose a threat that cannot be ignored. The Windies, as they showed in their league-stage match against England at the Wankhede Stadium, have an effective spin trio in Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein, and Roston Chase. Zimbabwe’s four-pronged spin attack of Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, and Wellington Masakadza can also spring a surprise. Ten Doeschate pointed out that it was finger spin that was troubling India’s usually aggressive batters. “I’d say finger spin (is the problem). If you take the combined figures, Pakistan bowled 14 overs of finger spin in the last game and, off the top of my head, it was something like 4/78. So it’s not a great number. Colombo was a particularly difficult wicket. The numbers against the Netherlands improved towards the back end. But again, Dutt bowling four overs for what he did was a big challenge,” he said, adding that bigger grounds had increased India’s woes. “I think these two venues in particular—with a bigger boundary here and obviously a slower wicket in Colombo—exaggerate that. But it’s something we’re going to have to focus on. With the amount of finger spin we’re going to get in the next three games, it’s going to be important that we dominate that phase of the game,” he added. Ten Doeschate felt that India’s batters have also looked vulnerable because the league-stage wickets have offered some assistance to spinners. “It’s not a sudden thing. The wickets we’ve played bilateral series on over the last 18 months have been really good batting tracks. Then, as soon as you come to a wicket that offers a bit of hold, it becomes a challenge. “So it might look like a short-term issue. On better wickets, you won’t see it—you can hit through the ball with more confidence. But the point is we need plans for wickets that do hold and where the boundaries are bigger. We need a clear game plan to deal with that threat,” he said. Given all the talk of ‘intent’ and a ‘fearless’ approach in T20Is, India’s post-Powerplay drop in run rate has also been very surprising.

Pakistan cricket team (AP/PTI)

Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign has reached a critical juncture. A win against Namibia in their final league fixture on Wednesday is non-negotiable if Salman Agha’s men are to keep their Super 8 hopes alive. Anything less, and their tournament ends prematurely.The pressure has mounted quickly. After bold claims that this was a stronger outfit than the one that faltered against India in the Asia Cup, Pakistan suffered a familiar 61-run defeat on Sunday. While their clashes with India in the 2022 and 2024 T20 World Cups were tight, they still fell short. Since the Asia Cup, India have now registered four comfortable wins on the trot, reinforcing Pakistan’s struggles in marquee encounters.

Scrutiny has intensified around senior players Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi. Shaheen failed to control the game in the PowerPlay or at the death, returning figures of 1 for 31 in two overs. Babar’s issues against spin continue to surface — his strike-rate against spin since returning to the T20I side stands at 101.70 — raising questions about balance and intent in the middle order.Selection dilemmas loom. Salman Mirza and Fakhar Zaman are in contention should the management opt for changes. Pakistan’s heavy reliance on spin — 13, 16 and 18 overs across three games — also reflects a side still searching for the right combination.Namibia, though eliminated, are not without motivation. With the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon as co-hosts, they are keen to gather momentum. For Pakistan, though, the equation is simple: win or go home.In the other fixture, India face the Netherlands in the night game. Having already secured qualification for the Super 8s with three wins from three matches, India will view this contest as an opportunity to fine-tune combinations and tick a few remaining boxes.Abhishek Sharma is yet to get going in this T20 World Cup, and the team management will be keen for their No. 1 batter to spend valuable time at the crease ahead of the knockout stage. Getting runs under his belt could prove crucial in the business end of the tournament.There could also be changes in the bowling department. Kuldeep Yadav might make way for Arshdeep Singh, who was included as an extra spinner against Pakistan. With qualification already secured, India may use this match to test their bench strength and settle on the most balanced XI for the Super 8s.

Today T20 World Cup matches – Tuesday, 18 February

India’s Abhishek Sharma during the practice session ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Cricket Match between India and Netherland at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 17, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji

India will face Pakistan at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 15 in a Group A match of T20 World Cup 2026. The Men in Blue are currently on top in the group. They have played two matches and have registered four points, with a net run rate of +3.050. Pakistan are in second place, with four points and a net run rate of +0.932.

Team India began their campaign with 29-run win over USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In their second group match, they beat Nambia by 93 runs in Delhi. However, India’s batting stumbled in both games, something they would be wary of. Against USA, they slipped to 77-6 before recovering. In the match against Namibia, India went from 104-1 to 124-4.

In some positive news for the Men in Blue, Abhishek Sharma is expected to make his comeback after missing India’s previous T20 World Cup match against Namibia due to a stomach bug. There are also chances that the Men in Blue will go in with a third spinner in Kuldeep Yadav, leaving out pacer Arshdeep Singh.

IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup 2026 match details

Match: India vs Pakistan, Match No. 27 (Group A)

Date and Time: February 15, 7pm IST

Venue: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

India vs Pakistan probable playing 11s

India: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed

India vs Pakistan pitch report

The match will be played on the same surface on which Zimbabwe stunned Australia as the latter failed to chase a target of 170. There was a hint of grass on the pitch on the eve of the India vs Pakistan clash, so batting might be slightly easier than normal.

India vs Pakistan weather forecast

According to AccuWeather, there is a high probability of rain in the morning and afternoon on Sunday in Colombo. However, the conditions are expected to be better in the second half. Both players and fans will have their fingers crossed.

IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup 2026 live streaming details

India: Star Sports (TV) and JioHotstar (Live streaming)

Pakistan: PTV & Myco (TV) and Tamasha, ARY Zapp & Tapmad (Live streaming)