Pakistan suffered a crushing 61-run defeat against India in their marquee clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium, with former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan strongly criticising Pakistan’s batting approach and questioning comparisons between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli after the one-sided contest.

The defeat, one of Pakistan’s heaviest in recent India–Pakistan T20 World Cup encounters, has intensified scrutiny on their senior players and team strategy, with Babar’s continued poor run against India coming under particular focus.

Heavy defeat exposes gap between rivals

Chasing a competitive total of 176, Pakistan were bowled out for 114, never recovering after early wickets. The batting line-up struggled for momentum, with multiple players failing to build partnerships or handle scoreboard pressure.

The match result highlighted what many analysts described as a growing performance gap between the two sides in global tournaments. Pakistan remain mathematically alive in the competition, but the scale and nature of the loss have raised serious questions about team balance, temperament and tactical clarity.

Observers noted that India did not need extraordinary spells to trigger the collapse, as several wickets fell to poor shot selection and misjudged attacking attempts.

Babar Azam’s poor run continues

Babar Azam’s dismissal again drew attention. Walking in after two early wickets, he scored just 5 off 7 balls before being bowled while attempting an aggressive shot against left-arm spinner Axar Patel. The mistimed hoick left his stumps shattered and Pakistan reeling further.

Statistics from recent matches show Babar has not crossed 14 runs in his last five T20 internationals against India, a trend that has added to criticism of his impact in high-pressure clashes against top opposition.

With Pakistan slipping to 34 for 4 inside five overs, his wicket proved a key turning point, deepening the early damage.

Irfan Pathan rejects Kohli comparisons

Speaking on his YouTube channel after the match, Irfan Pathan said comparisons between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli are misplaced, especially when judging performances under pressure in big matches.

“Please stop comparing Babar Azam with Virat Kohli. Kohli is in a different league. Look at his innings against Pakistan in the 2022 World Cup — has Babar ever played such a knock under pressure?” Pathan said.

Pathan acknowledged Babar’s unbeaten 68 in Pakistan’s 10-wicket win over India in 2021 as a quality innings, but argued that such performances have not been repeated consistently in high-stakes contests.

His remarks quickly gained traction online, adding to the debate around Babar’s role and approach.

Technical and tactical flaws highlighted

Pathan also pointed to tactical errors in Babar’s approach during the chase. With wickets falling quickly, he said the priority should have been strike rotation and innings-building rather than boundary-hitting.

“With three wickets down, he should have batted till at least the 15th over, focused on singles and doubles, and played a long innings. Even a strike rate of 120 would have been acceptable in that situation,” he explained.

He added that Babar struggles at times to clear boundaries at will against quality spin and also finds it difficult to rotate strike consistently in middle overs when the pitch offers grip — a weakness exposed again in this match.

According to Pathan, poor decision-making and shot execution accelerated Pakistan’s collapse and prevented them from batting out the full 20 overs.

Pressure on team management

The defeat has put Pakistan’s team management and coaching staff under pressure, with critics questioning batting order decisions, match awareness and adaptability. Senior players are expected to face the bulk of scrutiny as the tournament progresses.

Former cricketers and analysts in television panels have suggested that Pakistan may need to reassess their middle-overs strategy and role clarity, especially while chasing above-par totals.

Fans and commentators also noted that repeated batting failures in major India clashes point to a psychological hurdle as much as a technical one.

Tournament hopes still alive

Despite the heavy loss, Pakistan are not yet eliminated from the T20 World Cup and can still qualify depending on other results and their remaining matches. However, net run rate damage from a 61-run defeat could prove costly in a tight group table.

Team insiders say the focus will now shift to regrouping quickly and addressing batting lapses before the next fixture. Whether they can bounce back strongly remains to be seen.

For now, the result has reinforced India’s dominance in the rivalry on the global stage — and reopened fierce debate over Pakistan’s senior batting core.