In a surprising development ahead of the jointly hosted T20 World Cup 2026 by Sri Lanka and India, Pakistan has announced that its cricket team will not participate in the scheduled February 15 match against India at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium. While the government granted conditional permission for tournament participation, Pakistan’s official statement on its government ‘X’ account confirmed the team will skip the high-profile clash.
Analysts suggest the decision may be linked to Pakistan’s support for Bangladesh, after the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request to move matches from India for security reasons, and subsequently excluded Bangladesh from the tournament, replacing them with Scotland. Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi had previously met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss participation, with the final decision initially expected on January 30 or February 2. The early announcement also led the PCB to postpone its World Cup jersey launch.
The cancellation of the India-Pakistan fixture, one of the most-watched matches globally, raises questions over broadcasting rights and sponsorship revenues, creating uncertainty for the ICC and media partners. Pakistan, led by Salman Ali Aga, is placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA, and will play its opening match against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo.