Pakistan likely to play India in T20 World Cup, U-turn expected after ICC-PCB talks

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) : The Pakistan Cricket Board, on the advice of its government, decided to boycott the 2026 T20 World Cup match against India scheduled for February 15th in support of Bangladesh cricket. Amid constantly changing developments, Pakistan may reverse its decision not to play against India. The likelihood of the India-Pakistan match taking place on February 15th has increased.

Final rounds of meetings are underway to finalize the India-Pakistan match. PCB sources told IANS that meetings are ongoing, and there is a 99 percent chance that the India-Pakistan match will take place on February 15th.

Earlier, the PCB had announced that it would not play the February 15 match against India in Colombo. The Pakistani government had allowed its team to participate in the World Cup only on the condition that it stood firmly with Bangladesh. In response to Pakistan's announcement, the ICC issued a strong statement urging the PCB to find a mutually agreed solution and warned that selective participation undermines the principles of global competition.

“While the ICC awaits official information from the Pakistan Cricket Board, this situation of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event, where all participating teams are expected to compete on equal terms as per the event schedule,” the ICC said.

The apex cricket body said, "The ICC expects the PCB to consider the significant and long-term implications of this move on cricket in its country, as it is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem of which it is a member and beneficiary." Pakistan is in Group A of the World Cup along with India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA. All of Pakistan's matches are scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the tournament with India.