Colombo, Sri Lanka – February 15, 2026 – former India captain Kris Srikkanth has downplayed the threat posed by Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan ahead of their crucial T20 World Cup clash in Colombo today. While acknowledging Farhan’s recent form – 120 runs at an average of 60 and a strike rate of 166.66 in his last two outings – Srikkanth believes India possesses the bowling attack to contain him.
Farhan has demonstrated success against India in the past, notably scoring 155 runs at an average of 51.66 with two half-centuries in three Asia Cup matches last year.Though, Srikkanth remains unconvinced, stating, “Everyone is hyping up Farhan, but tomorrow he’s going to fail. Either Bumrah will clean him up, or he will play across the line to Varun Chakaravarthy and have his stumps shattered. Once he is dismissed, Pakistan are finished.Pakistan’s batting is not convincing at all.” Source
Srikkanth further criticized the Pakistan batting lineup, suggesting a reliance on Farhan. “But pakistan’s batting has only one Sahibzada Farhan. How can they expect to win a World Cup match with just one batter? Babar Azam will come and play a Test match. And Salman Agha is Babar Azam 2.0. They have only Shadab Khan, who can be hazardous in the middle order. They don’t know how to play Varun Chakaravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah.”
India’s Spin Challenge & Pakistan’s Strategy
Despite India’s ancient dominance over Pakistan – having won all three meetings in the 2025 Asia Cup and boasting a strong record in T20 World Cup encounters (seven wins in eight matches) – Srikkanth highlighted a potential vulnerability for the Indian side: their performance against spin bowling. He noted that the Indian middle order has struggled at times against spin in recent matches against the USA and Namibia.
Pakistan is expected to capitalize on this perceived weakness by fielding a spin-heavy attack, potentially deploying up to five spinners on a Colombo pitch conducive to slower bowlers. Srikkanth commented, “Their spinners are good, and the Indians have also not been convincing against spin so far.there are times the middle order has struggled against the spinners. It’s a gun lineup, but only against good spin attacks. India have not been comfortable.”
Though, historical data supports India’s overall advantage. Pakistan has lost their last five T20I matches and seven out of eight T20 World Cup games against India. Both teams enter today’s match with confidence, having secured wins in their first two tournament fixtures.