The Pakistan government has confirmed that the Pakistan Cricket Team will not play their T20 World Cup 2026 match against India, scheduled for February 15, with Salman Ali Agha as captain. The game was set to take place at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Reports indicate that Pakistan will skip the match while the Indian team will travel to Sri Lanka for their usual pre-match training. The Indian players will wait for the match referee’s decision if Pakistan does not show up.
India will continue to follow its plans according to the guidelines established by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The decision was announced by the Pakistan government in a post on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), stating that Pakistan will participate in the ICC tournament in 2026 but will miss the group-stage match against India. No official reason has been provided, and neither the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) nor the ICC has offered further clarification.
Pakistan and India are in Group A of the T20 World Cup, which also includes the USA, the Netherlands, and Namibia. The tournament will move to its Super Eight stage after the top two teams progress.
Former England player Kevin Pietersen questioned whether Pakistan could avoid facing Suryakumar Yadav’s team in the final of the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup journey against the Netherlands on February 7, while India is set to play the USA on the same day.