Pakistan to skip India match at T20 World Cup despite joining tournament

Pakistan‘s government announced Sunday the cricket team will compete in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 but will boycott their scheduled Feb. 15 group match against India in Colombo, without giving a reason.aljazeera
The decision follows Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi accusing the ICC of “double standards” after Bangladesh was removed from the tournament for refusing to play matches in India over security concerns.aljazeera
If Pakistan forfeits the match, India would receive an automatic two points, though the ICC has not yet received formal notification and potential sanctions remain unclear.aljazeera

Pakistan Confirms Boycott of India Match at T20 World Cup 2026

The Pakistan government announced on Sunday that its national cricket team will participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 but will not take the field against India in their scheduled Group A clash on February 15 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,” read a statement posted on the government’s official X account.aljazeera

No official reason was given for the decision.

Tensions Over Bangladesh Removal

The announcement ends weeks of uncertainty after Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi raised doubts about participation following Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament on January 24. Bangladesh had requested their matches be moved from India to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns, but the ICC denied the request and replaced them with Scotland after failing to receive confirmation of travel within a 24-hour deadline.aljazeera

Pakistan was the only member board to support Bangladesh’s venue request at the ICC meeting. Naqvi accused the global governing body of applying “double standards” favoring India. “You can’t say for one country [India] they can do whatever they want and for the others to have to do the complete opposite,” Naqvi said following Bangladesh’s ouster.espn

The decision came after a meeting between Naqvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to reports.cricbuzz

What Comes Next

If Pakistan does not take the field on February 15, the match will be treated as a forfeit under ICC rules, resulting in India receiving an automatic two points. According to sources cited by India Today, the ICC has not yet received any formal communication from the PCB regarding the decision and would consider action or sanctions only after official notification.unn

Potential penalties discussed include restrictions on foreign players participating in the Pakistan Super League, reduced ICC revenue allocations, exclusion from the Asia Cup, and suspension of bilateral series.indiatoday

Pakistan, captained by Salman Ali Agha, will open their campaign against the Netherlands on Saturday at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. All of Pakistan’s matches are scheduled in Sri Lanka due to the longstanding policy of avoiding tours to India amid geopolitical tensions. The two nations have not played a bilateral cricket series since 2012 and meet only in multi-nation tournaments at neutral venues.bbc

The India-Pakistan fixture is widely regarded as the most commercially valuable match in international cricket, with advertising slots historically commanding premium rates. The tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, runs from February 7 to March 8.indiatimes