Pakistan suffered a heavy 61-run defeat against India in Colombo on Sunday and are now under serious pressure at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Coach Mike Hesson has called on his players to quickly forget the loss and focus on what matters next, a must-win clash against Namibia on Wednesday.
Pakistan’s Tough Loss to India Leaves Them on the Edge
It was a difficult Sunday for Pakistan in Colombo. After restricting India to 175/7 in 20 overs, a decent effort with the ball,l Pakistan’s batting collapsed badly. They lost four wickets inside the Powerplay and their run chase never recovered, ending in a 61-run defeat to their arch-rivals.
Saim Ayub was a bright spot for Pakistan, picking up 3/25 with the ball against India. But with the bat, the team simply could not handle the pressure of the big occasion.
Coach Hesson acknowledged this openly. “When a guy’s putting you under pressure, are you going to stick to your basics or are you going to go away from that?” he said. It is a question Pakistan’s batters will need to answer against Namibia.
Hesson Urges Pakistan to Refocus Ahead of Namibia Clash
Despite the disappointment, Hesson is pushing his squad to move on fast. He knows tournament cricket comes with its ups and downs and believes his side must bounce back quickly.
“We’re really disappointed we didn’t play as well as we could, but we’re part of a tournament and we know it’s not always going to go your way,” Hesson said. “Our job is to pick ourselves up and make sure that we’re very good in two or three days.”
Pakistan will almost certainly need a win over Namibia on Wednesday to have any chance of qualifying for the Super Eights. Hesson made clear that the key lies in trusting their decision-making under pressure, saying: “All these guys are international players, they’re all good players, but when the pressure comes on, are they going to trust the decision making or are they going to probably go outside that?”
“As the tournament progresses, we’ll be put under pressure again and it’s how we respond when we’re under the pump,” he added.
Wednesday is not just another game for Pakistan. It is effectively a knockout match.
