Suryakumar Yadav, the captain of the Indian cricket team, has affirmed that they are all set to travel to Colombo for their ICC T20 World Cup showdown against their long-time rivals, Pakistan, on February 15, despite Pakistan’s decision to withdraw from the match. “Our flight to Colombo is confirmed, and we are going there. The rest will be figured out once we arrive,” Suryakumar stated during a press conference at the BCCI headquarters in Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. India, the defending champions, is in Group A alongside the USA, Pakistan, Namibia, and the Netherlands, kicking off their T20 World Cup journey against the USA led by Monank Patel on Saturday. Regarding the potential boycott of the Indo-Pak clash, Suryakumar remarked, “Our stance is straightforward. We haven’t opted out; they have. The ICC has set the schedule, our flight is booked, and we’re headed to Colombo.” Following Bangladesh’s replacement by Scotland due to security issues, Pakistan’s government instructed its team to forgo the match against India. “It’s their decision, not mine. I wish I could influence their choices, but it’s up to them. We are prepared to play in Colombo on February 15. We won all three recent matches against them in the Asia Cup, and we’ll be ready if the opportunity arises in Colombo,” he added. In support of Pakistan’s decision, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif deemed the boycott appropriate, citing the need for sports to remain free from political influences. Sharif expressed solidarity with Bangladesh after they were unable to play in India due to security concerns, stating, “We’ve taken a clear stance on the T20 World Cup: we won’t face India because politics has no place in sports.” Acknowledging this, Bangladesh’s sports advisor, Asif Nazrul, expressed gratitude towards Pakistan on social media, highlighting the diplomatic ties between the two nations in the sporting arena.
