The T20 World Cup 2026 will start within the next few days when India and Sri Lanka will host the tournament. The group-stage match between India and Pakistan has entered a state of uncertainty at this time. Pakistan has declared its intention to boycott the scheduled match against India yet the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not delivered any official notification to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
India head coach Gautam Gambhir declined to comment on the issue. He travelled to Mumbai on Wednesday to attend India’s warm-up match against South Africa. He declined to answer questions about the Pakistan controversy when reporters approached him at the airport and he proceeded to walk away without making any comments.
The Pakistani government has granted permission for its team to participate in the T20 World Cup. The government has not authorized the match against India. The decision has started a conversation which now takes place between different international parties. The ICC has reportedly warned the PCB and asked it to reconsider its stance.
The India–Pakistan match holds major importance, especially from a revenue and viewership perspective. Both teams belong to the same group which also includes Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States. The current schedule shows that India and Pakistan will play their match in Colombo on February 15.
The tournament preparations continue to advance. India will face South Africa in a warm-up match today while Pakistan is scheduled to play Ireland. The matches will happen just before the group-stage controversy continues to unfold.
