There Is Absolutely No Contest Between India And Pakistan Anymore : Irfan Pathan

India registered a comprehensive 61-run win over Pakistan to reach the Super 8s, thanks to Ishan Kishan’s brute power, and booked a Super Eight berth in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Haier Match Centre Live’, JioStar experts Irfan Pathan and Piyush Chawla, along with Indian batter Tilak Varma, spoke about Kishan’s fearless knock, Suryakumar Yadav’s composure, and India’s dominance in the game.

Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Haier Match Centre Live’, Tilak Varma spoke about Ishan Kishan’s brilliance with the bat: 

“There was a bit of nervousness in this game. But at the same time, I was focusing on one ball at a time. The wicket was slightly tricky, but the way Ishan Kishan batted was terrific. It was brilliant to watch. The way he played his shots, it looked like he was batting on a different pitch. I told him to keep batting the same way, and that if a wicket fell, I would handle it at the other end and rotate the strike. To be frank, once we got the start, we were thinking of getting to 200 instead of settling at 175.”

Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Haier Match Centre Live’, JioStar expert Irfan Pathan weighed in on India’s win against Pakistan:

“This was a clinical win for India. There is absolutely no contest between India and Pakistan anymore. The rivalry exists because of history and what has happened off the field, not because of what we see on the cricket field. On the field, there is no comparison. The way India batted and bowled was outstanding. In the first over itself, Pakistan’s fast bowler Shaheen Afridi conceded 31 runs. In contrast, when India’s fast bowlers came on, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya bowled with the right line and length. They showed that even on a pitch offering turn, fast bowlers can be equally effective. After the early three wickets, when the spinners came on, I couldn’t understand the approach of the Pakistani batters. There was simply no competition.”

On Ishan Kishan’s performance, Irfan said, “His confidence is outstanding. The pressure created in the first over was not handled well by Shaheen Afridi, and once Ishan got set, he was all over Pakistan. This innings completely took the game away from them, especially in the Powerplay. No other batter looked as comfortable as Ishan Kishan. It was heartening to see him play off-side as well. However, his main scoring areas remained the leg side, mid-on, mid-wicket, and square-leg. This was a knock played on a different pitch and with a different mindset. Performers in domestic cricket deserve respect and confidence, and he was given both. He worked hard, improved his off-side game, scored heavily in domestic cricket, and earned his way back. In this game, he was clearly the best batter on show between India and Pakistan.”

On Suryakumar Yadav’s approach:

“Suryakumar Yadav’s innings also helped Tilak Varma. The base he created was excellent. He played the sweep and some remarkable shots between long-on and mid-wicket, which are extremely difficult, especially without moving the feet. You need perfect weight transfer to generate that power, and Surya is a special player. That middle-phase innings was crucial. A left-hander at the top made it easier for the right-handers to score later.”

Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Haier Match Centre Live’, JioStar expert Piyush Chawla elaborated on India’s dominance:

“Champion teams don’t need too much time to adapt to conditions. This Indian team is equipped with players who can perform anywhere, and that’s exactly what they showed here. With just one day of practice, they came out and meant business. When India were batting, Ishan Kishan was very clear in his approach. Even though we lost Abhishek Sharma early, Ishan took responsibility. It genuinely felt like he was batting on a different pitch compared to the others. Once India posted 175, it already looked 20 runs too many for Pakistan, but it eventually turned out to be 61 runs too many.”