Pakistan will not play India in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 after the country’s government announced a decision to forfeit the high-profile group-stage match scheduled for February 15. The announcement was made on Sunday evening, bringing clarity to days of uncertainty surrounding Pakistan’s participation against its arch-rivals.
The government confirmed that while Pakistan has granted approval for the national team to take part in the ICC T20 World Cup, the team will not take the field for the match against India. The tournament itself is scheduled to run from February 7 to March 8, and Pakistan will compete in all other fixtures.
The decision was communicated through an official government statement, which did not specify the reasons behind the boycott of the India game. However, the timing of the announcement has drawn attention, as it came just hours after Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore.
Until recently, the PCB had kept its stance open, indicating that a final call would be taken either by January 30 or February 2. The early announcement on Sunday evening suggests that discussions at the highest level accelerated the process. The Pakistan team is expected to travel to Sri Lanka on Monday to begin its World Cup campaign.
Sources indicate that the decision is linked to Pakistan’s protest against the International Cricket Council over its refusal to relocate Bangladesh’s World Cup matches out of India. Pakistan had strongly backed Bangladesh on the issue and was reportedly the only board to support the demand during the ICC Board meeting. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had earlier stated that an injustice was done to Bangladesh, though the government statement avoided mentioning this dispute directly.
The forfeiture of the India–Pakistan match places the ICC in a challenging position. The contest is widely regarded as the most commercially significant and globally watched fixture in international cricket. How the ICC responds to the boycott, including possible consequences or adjustments to the tournament framework, will be closely observed.
Pakistan has been placed in Group A along with India, the USA, Namibia, and the Netherlands. The team is scheduled to open its World Cup campaign against the Netherlands in Colombo on February 7. This will be followed by matches against the USA on February 10 and Namibia on February 18, with the India fixture on February 15 now set to be forfeited.
As per pre-tournament arrangements, all of Pakistan’s matches have been allotted to Sri Lanka, one of the joint hosts of the 20-team championship. While the tournament will go on as planned, the absence of the India–Pakistan clash is expected to have a significant impact on fan interest, broadcasting dynamics, and the overall narrative of the World Cup.
With Pakistan confirming its participation and the ICC yet to respond officially, attention now shifts to how the world governing body handles a situation that blends cricket, diplomacy, and global commercial interests.