Pakistan will be participating in the T20 World Cup but will not be playing against India, this decision has caused concern within the International Cricket Council and the Indian Cricket Board.
The Pakistan-India match is very important for ICC tournaments financially.
Pakistan is set to boycott the most important match of the tournament due to unavoidable reasons which will cause the ICC, BCCI and the Indian sports broadcasters substantial financial damage.
On average the total commercial value of a single Pakistan vs India T20 match is estimated around $500 million. The figure is made up of advertising premiums, broadcast rights, sponsorship activations, related commercial activity and ticket sales.
It is reported that advertising slots during a Pakistan vs India T20 match usually bring around Rs2.5 million to Rs4 million for a 10-second spot. This figure is well above for even the knockout matches involving India and Pakistan with other teams.
The party that will be most affected by this match not happening are the broadcast rights holder. The estimated advertising revenue of the match alone was predicted to be Rs3 billion based on industry projections.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in addition will be facing an immediate loss of approximately Rs2 billion, and it might increase further.
Pakistan has been placed in Group A alongside India, Netherlands, Namibia and the United States. Before opting not to play against India Pakistan had already taken the decision not to play any match in India.
Pakistan will open their T20 World Cup campaign in Sri Lanka on February 7th against Netherlands, it will be followed by a match with United States on February 10 and Namibia on February 18. Pakistan was supposed to play against India on February 15.
Also read: Pakistan boycotts, but what if India faces green shirts in T20 World Cup 2026 semis or final?
