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Ishan opened the innings against Pakistan and scored 77 runs from 40 balls. He hammered 10 fours and three sixes for the Indian team during his stay on the crease.
Ishan Kishan breaks Gautam Gambhir’s record. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan opened the innings for India within the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday (February 15) and scored 77 runs from 40 balls. During his stay on the crease, he hammered 10 fours and three sixes. The super show by Ishan at R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday helped him break Gautam Gambhir’s record of highest rating by an Indian opener in a T20I match against Pakistan.
Gambhir opened the innings for India in the ultimate of the 2007 T20 World Cup against Pakistan at The Wanderers in Johannesburg on September 24 and played a knock of 75 runs from 54 balls.
Highest scores by Indian opener in T20Is against Pakistan
| PLAYER | RUNS | BALLS | 4/6s | VENUE | DATE |
| Ishan Kishan | 77 | 40 | 10/3 | Colombo (RPS) | February 15, 2026 |
| Gautam Gambhir | 75 | 54 | 8/2 | Johannesburg | September 24, 2007 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 74 | 39 | 6/5 | Dubai (DICS) | September 21, 2025 |
| Shubman Gill | 47 | 28 | 8/0 | Dubai (DICS) | September 21, 2025 |
| Gautam Gambhir | 43 | 41 | 2/1 | Bengaluru | December 25, 2012 |
The general record of the best individual rating by a gap batter in a T20I match played between India and Pakistan is within the name of Mohammad Rizwan. Rizwan scored 79 runs for the Men in Green against India within the 2021 T20 World Cup match at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on October 24.
Highest scores by openers in India-Pakistan T20Is
| PLAYER | COUNTRY | RUNS | BALLS | 4/6s | VENUE | DATE |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | 79* | 55 | 6/3 | Dubai (DICS) | October 24, 2021 |
| Ishan Kishan | India | 77 | 40 | 10/3 | Colombo (RPS) | February 15, 2026 |
| Gautam Gambhir | India | 75 | 54 | 8/2 | Johannesburg | September 24, 2007 |
| Abhishek Sharma | India | 74 | 39 | 6/5 | Dubai (DICS) | September 21, 2025 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | 71 | 51 | 6/2 | Dubai (DICS) | September 4, 2022 |
Ishan had a probability to interrupt the record of highest individual rating in a T20I match between India and Pakistan, but he missed the mark by six runs.
Former India skipper and legendary batter Virat Kohli holds the record for the best rating in an India-Pakistan T20I match. Kohli played a knock of 82 runs from 53 balls for the Rohit Sharma-led side within the 2022 T20 World Cup match played on the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Highest scores in India-Pakistan T20Is
| PLAYER | COUNTRY | RUNS | BALLS | 4/6s | VENUE | DATE |
| Virat Kohli | India | 82* | 53 | 6/4 | Melbourne | October 23, 2022 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | 79* | 55 | 6/3 | Dubai (DICS) | October 24, 2021 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 78* | 61 | 8/2 | Colombo (RPS) | September 30, 2012 |
| Ishan Kishan | India | 77 | 40 | 10/3 | Colombo (RPS) | February 15, 2026 |
| Gautam Gambhir | India | 75 | 54 | 8/2 | Johannesburg | September 24, 2007 |
| Abhishek Sharma | India | 74 | 39 | 6/5 | Dubai (DICS) | September 21, 2025 |
Ishan, who’s India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter within the T20 World Cup 2026, is the fourth Indian after Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli to attain a 50-plus rating in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match against the Men in Green.
February 15, 2026, 20:06 IST
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