T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan to play India on February 15, ends boycott

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 group stage match between India and Pakistan will go ahead as scheduled on February 15, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Monday.

“This evening, the Prime Minister held a telephone call with H.E. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of Sri Lanka. During their warm and friendly conversation, they recalled that Pakistan and Sri Lanka had always stood shoulder to shoulder, especially during challenging times.

“The Sri Lankan President requested the Prime Minister to accord serious consideration to amicably resolve the current impasse,” the Government of Pakistan said in a statement.

“In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for its scheduled fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.”

The two teams were supposed to play their group-stage match at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka. However, Pakistan decided against taking the field as protest after Bangladesh withdrew from the tournament.

Both teams have played a match each in the T20 World Cup so far, with Pakistan winning its opener by three wickets against Netherlands, while India beat the United States of America by 29 runs on February 7.

Published on Feb 09, 2026