Pakistan will play against India as scheduled in the T20 World Cup 2026 on February 15, according to reports on Monday.
Pakistan agrees to play against India
According to the latest reports, Pakistan has agreed to play a group match against India in the T20 World Cup 2026 following a request from the Sri Lankan president.
Both teams will play their Group A match as per schedule on February 15.
Sources said that Pakistan and India will now play their T20 World Cup 2026 match according to the schedule.
It is worth noting that Bangladesh had earlier raised security concerns for its team about participating in the T20 World Cup 2026 being held in India and requested a change of venues, which was rejected by the ICC.
After this, Bangladesh announced its withdrawal from the event in protest.
Instead of negotiating with Bangladesh, the ICC removed Bangladesh from the tournament and included Scotland.
Later, Pakistan called the ICC’s decision a double standard and, in solidarity with Bangladesh, announced a boycott of the match against India, shocking the cricket world.
Following this, the ICC tried to persuade Pakistan, and a meeting lasting more than four hours was held between the ICC Deputy Chairman, the President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Earlier, the Sri Lankan president had contacted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and requested him to end Pakistan’s boycott and allow the team to play the match against India.
BCB statement
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), in a statement, expressed appreciation to Pakistan.
“The BCB wishes to express its profound and heartfelt gratitude to PCB Chairman Mohsin Raza Naqvi, his Board and the cricket fans of Pakistan. Throughout this period, the PCB has demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship and solidarity,” the statement read.
BCB President Aminul Islam said, “We are deeply moved by Pakistan’s efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period. Long may our brotherhood flourish.”
“Following my short visit to Pakistan yesterday and given the forthcoming outcomes of our discussions, I request Pakistan to play the ICC T20 World Cup game on 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem.”
“We are deeply moved by Pakistan’s efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period. Long may our brotherhood flourish,” BCB President Aminul Islam said.
PCB, BCB, ICC meeting
Prior to this, contradictory reports were emerging. Some reports suggested that Pakistan could still play India in the ongoing Men’s T20 World Cup if the conditions set by the country are accepted, with the final decision resting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
According to media sources, the inside story of the meeting between the PCB, the ICC, and the BCB has come to light.
The discussion covered cricket politics in the region, financial matters, and future events, reports suggest.
According to media reports, one key point raised in the meeting was that if the Bangladesh Cricket Board can be convinced, the PCB could also agree on certain matters.
The media reports said that PCB asked the ICC to give BCB a fair share of ICC revenue to make sure of balance and financial stability in regional cricket.
