India all-rounder Axar Patel praised Ishan Kishan for his outstanding performance against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2026 match in Colombo on February 15. He said the batting conditions were not easy but added that Kishan played confidently and with control because he has been in excellent form over the past few months.
India defeated Pakistan by 61 runs at the R Premadasa Stadium in a Group A match, continuing their strong record against them in ICC tournaments. After being asked to bat first, India scored 175 for 7, with Kishan hitting 77 off 40 balls. In reply, Pakistan were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs.
Speaking at the post-match press conference after the big win, Axar shared his thoughts on Kishan’s brilliant innings, especially on a pitch where most batters from both teams struggled to score freely.
“Obviously the way he batted, I think it was one of the great knocks. It was not so easy, the ball was spinning and some were going straight. It’s just that the form he has had in the domestic cricket; he has carried it forward to the New Zealand series. In the last match also he scored 50.
“When your confidence is high, you don’t think much about yourself or the wicket. Obviously, there is confidence and a lot of skill also. He has not hit all his shots in one place. He has played shots all over – over cover, slip. So he used the field well. Credit goes to him,” the 32-year-old added.
“You Just Have to Believe” – Kishan After Stunning Innings
After being named Player of the Match, Ishan Kishan said that batting on the Colombo pitch wasn’t easy. However, he trusted his ability and played confidently. Looking back on his crucial innings, the left-hander told Cricbuzz:
“I think the wicket was not that easy in the beginning, but sometimes you just have to believe what you want to play, what shots are on, and you have to just focus on your strength. So I was just keeping it simple and watching the ball and playing with the field – maybe trying to make them run as much as they can, but yeah, I think it worked pretty well.”
Kishan is now the second-highest run-scorer in the 2026 T20 World Cup. In three innings, the 27-year-old has scored 158 runs, averaging 52.67, with a strike rate of 197.50.
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