As the T20 World Cup 2026 approaches, Pakistan has reversed its earlier decision to boycott the highly anticipated match against India. Initially, Pakistan had opted not to compete against its long-standing rivals in solidarity with Bangladesh, who faced exclusion from the tournament for declining to play matches in India. However, following discussions involving the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi provided an update to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding these developments.
The thrilling encounter between India and Pakistan is set for February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. In the lead-up to this clash, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly expressed his confidence in the Indian team, emphasizing that the match will pose a significant challenge for Pakistan. “It’s going to be a major World Cup showdown. With the match on the 15th, India won’t make it easy for Pakistan to claim victory. They are an exceptionally strong team,” Ganguly remarked. Both teams have started the tournament with wins and aim to build on their momentum.
Ganguly also shared his top picks from the Indian squad, praising the overall quality of play displayed by all participating teams, including the likes of Netherlands, Scotland, and Nepal. “This tournament has kicked off brilliantly. None of the teams seem out of place. For India, my favorites are Abhishek Sharma, Bumrah, Surya, and Ishan Kishan,” he noted.
T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs PAK: Full Squads
India: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan (WK), Rinku Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Tilak Varma.
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (C), Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan (WK), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Khawaja Nafay (WK), Usman Tariq.
(With ANI Inputs)