India's Ishan Kishan plays a shot during the T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (AP )

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Feb 15, (Agencies): India delivered a commanding performance to defeat Pakistan by 61 runs, extending its dominance in T20 World Cup history and becoming the first team to secure a spot in the Super 8 stage.

Chasing a target of 176, Pakistan never found momentum and were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs. India’s bowling unit shared the spoils, with Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakaravarthy claiming two wickets each to dismantle the batting lineup.

Pakistan’s troubles began early as they lost four wickets inside the Powerplay with barely any runs on the board. Salman Ali Agha struck a boundary but fell on the very next delivery, leaving the side in deep trouble at 13/3.

Axar Patel further dented Pakistan’s hopes by dismissing the dangerous Usman Khan, who was closing in on a half-century before being stumped just six runs short. Mohammad Nawaz briefly counterattacked with a boundary but soon holed out in the deep as wickets continued to tumble.

Shadab Khan attempted to revive the innings with a fighting effort, and a few boundaries followed, but the required run rate hovered near double digits, keeping the pressure firmly on Pakistan.

By the end, India were cruising toward another comprehensive win over their arch-rivals, strengthening their head-to-head edge and underlining their status as one of the tournament favorites.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has won the toss and elected to field in the most-anticipated game of the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday as the two captains refrained from shaking hands because of military and diplomatic tensions between the two neighbors.

Political tensions between the two nations have often boiled over onto the cricket field. Sunday’s game is the first time the teams have met since last year’s acrimonious Asia Cup tournament in the United Arab Emirates, which was won by India and where players refused to shake hands.

Since the Asia Cup, where Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart Agha, the practice has been followed in the subsequent women’s and Under 19 world cups.

There was speculation earlier that the International Cricket Council may have resolved the conflict when it persuaded Pakistan to play the India game after it had threatened a boycott earlier this month.

In Mumbai, West Indies notched its third successive win in Group C when it thumped Nepal by nine wickets and qualified for the Super 8 stage of the tournament.