Pakistan’s premier fast bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, was rendered useless by Indian batters in Colombo. The left-arm pacer, who’s built a reputation as a wicket-taker, was tonked all over the park in the India vs Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup 2026.
India thrash Shaheen Afridi
Shaheen delivered the second over of the game after Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha claimed the wicket of Abhishek Sharma in the first over. The left-arm quick was immediately taken to task. Ishan Kishan smashed a six over square leg to kick things off. A lucky boundary via the edge meant Shaheen was under pressure.
He bowled a couple of good deliveries, but another boundary came as Tilak Varma edged over to the third man boundary. 15 runs off the over. Shaheen was removed by Agha, as Pakistan bowled 17 consecutive overs of spin.
With India at 159/5 with one over to go, Agha turned to Shaheen again. Pakistan wanted to keep things tight. The pitch was doing tricks, and chasing wouldn’t be easy. But Indian batters thought otherwise.
Tired of facing spin, their eyes lit up watching Shaheen come on to bowl. Shivam Dube welcomed him with a four down the ground, and Rinku Singh cut him for four. 9 runs had already come after the first three balls. Rinku Singh made matters worse for Shaheen, hitting him for a six over square leg.
A wicket of the last ball, of Axar Patel, saved Shaheen’s face, but 16 runs still came off it. His two overs for 31 runs could perhaps be the difference between Pakistan winning or losing the match at the R. Premadasa Stadium.
Shaheen Afridi in T20 World Cup 2026
| Overs | Runs Conceded | Wickets | Average | Economy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 9 | 101 | 3 | 33.66 | 11.22 |
| vs India | 2 | 31 | 1 | 31 | 15.50 |
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