Patna (Bihar), [India] February 15 (ANI): Ahead of the high-voltage encounter between India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, Ishan Kishan's childhood coach Santosh Kumar expressed confidence in the wicketkeeper-batter's form and mindset.

Last year was phenomenal for Kishan, as he scored 354 runs in his first IPL (Indian Premier League) season with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), including a century against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on his debut in Orange. Later, he cracked two stunning fifties for Nottinghamshire in County Cricket in June.

More exploits in the coming months helped seal Ishan's case, as he cracked a Ranji ton for his state, top-scored in Jharkhand's maiden SMAT title triumph as captain, with 517 runs in 10 innings, including two centuries and two fifties, and followed it with a phenomenal 39-ball 125 in VHT against Karnataka.

This earned the youngster a return to Team India for T20Is against New Zealand, emerging as the second-highest run-getter with 215 runs at an average of 53.75 and a strike rate of over 231, with a century and fifty. An incredible improvement was visible in his off-side strokeplay, and his six-hitting looked more lethal than ever.

Speaking about Kishan's recent performances, his childhood coach Santosh Kumar told ANI, 'Ishan Kishan has made a great comeback and is expected to perform well in the upcoming game. The momentum he has gained from his previous performance is a remarkable achievement, and it is likely to continue.'

As excitement peaks around the much-awaited clash between India and Pakistan, an Indian cricket fan in Colombo shared his enthusiasm ahead of the marquee encounter.

Expressing emotional anticipation, the fan said, 'It was a big dream of our lives to witness India's victory over Pakistan, and today we are going to witness India's victory again after defeating Pakistan. The voice should reach Lahore.'

Another Indian cricket fan, Mohd Afsar, said, 'We are here to support our team. There is no rivalry between us, but India will win. If we look at the last 10-15 years, we have been winning only. There is a lot of excitement.'

Meanwhile, a Pakistani cricket fan said, 'The voice will reach Delhi... Get out of the movies, and no dialogue will work here. We are sure that these people will lose today.'

Both India and Pakistan have played two matches each in the tournament so far. Both have registered victories in those games. While India will enter the contest on the back of wins against the United States of America and Namibia, Pakistan has defeated the Netherlands and the USA.

While the Suryakumar Yadav-led India are placed on top of Group A standings with four points and the Net Run Rate (NRR) of +3.050, Pakistan are placed second with four points, too, and an NRR of +0.932. (ANI)