Pakistan have decided to forfeit Group A match against India at T20 World Cup 2026.
While the Pakistan government has allowed its national team to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026, it did not give them the green light to play against arch-rivals India on February 15. No reason has been specified about the forfeiture of the marquee fixture.
Pakistan’s boycott move is being seen as an act of solidarity with Bangladesh after their removal from the 20-tournament for refusing to travel to India citing 'security concerns'.
However, the ICC has made it clear that selective participation will not be allowed and asked Pakistan to reconsider their stance due to the long-term impact that it can have on cricket in the country.
Amid the standoff, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will “100 per cent backtrack” in the coming days and the high-stake encounter will take place in Colombo as scheduled.
“100 per cent the match will happen. I think Pakistan will backtrack over the next four to five days. I want to see the encounter as well,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“They can face financial losses. The broadcasters will lose a lot of money, so there has to be a compromise. All the members will face losses, and they will say in the ICC meeting that, because of Pakistan, we are facing these losses. In the PSL, the players might not be given the NOCs,” he added.
Pakistan are slated to play all their T20 World Cup fixtures in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model agreement with the BCCI and ICC till 2027.
According to Ashwin, refusing to play against a single opponent is just “not acceptable”. He hoped that the PCB would show better sense and make a U-turn.
“Pakistan and India will be playing at a neutral venue, so the issue of the venue is not there. To say I will not play against a particular opponent is not acceptable. I hope better sense prevails and these matches take place,” Ashwin stated.
The traditional rivals are placed in Group A along with Namibia, Netherlands and USA. Before the main event, India and Pakistan will also play warm-up matches on February 4 against South Africa and Ireland, respectively.
Ashwin warned against taking Pakistan lightly in the T20 World Cup, considering their recent form and 3-0 series win over Australia.
“I would not be surprised if they go the distance. Pakistan's biggest enemy is itself. It's all about their mindset. If you tell them you can't lose against India, then that would be a big problem," Ashwin remarked.