Pakistan to Boycott T20 World Cup 2026 Group Match Against India, Confirms Government

Pakistan to Boycott T20 World Cup 2026 Group Match Against India, Confirms Government

Pakistan will not take the field against India in their scheduled group-stage clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the Government of Pakistan announced on Sunday, February 1.

In an official post on X, the government said it had granted approval for the Pakistan men’s cricket team to participate in the tournament but decided against playing the high-profile match against India on February 15, 2026. The India–Pakistan fixture was scheduled to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

“The Government of 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,” the post read.

The T20 World Cup begins on February 7. Pakistan will compete in Group A and play their remaining matches against the Netherlands (February 7), USA (February 10), and Namibia (February 18). By forfeiting the India match, Pakistan will concede the two points for that fixture, with ICC playing conditions stating that the forfeiture will impact Pakistan’s net run rate but not India’s.

Due to longstanding political tensions, Pakistan had earlier refused to play its matches in India, prompting the ICC to shift Pakistan’s fixtures to neutral venues in Sri Lanka. Under an agreement signed last year, India and Pakistan are to play ICC event matches at neutral venues whenever one of the two countries hosts a tournament.

The decision follows recent regional cricket tensions, including Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the tournament after its request to move matches out of India on security grounds was rejected by the ICC. Bangladesh was subsequently replaced by Scotland. Pakistan had earlier indicated it might boycott the event in solidarity with Bangladesh but ultimately chose partial participation.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi had last week criticised the ICC for alleged double standards and said a final call would be taken after consultations with the government. The government’s announcement has now confirmed Pakistan’s participation in the tournament, excluding the marquee clash against India.