Pakistan to play T20 World Cup but Boycott match against India

Pakistan will participate in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup but will boycott its group-stage match against India, scheduled for February 15, 2026.

The decision followed a meeting last Monday between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The move comes amid uncertainty over Pakistan’s participation after Bangladesh were withdrawn from the tournament due to security concerns over playing in India.

In a post on the Government of Pakistan’s official X account, the government confirmed it had approved the national team’s participation in the tournament, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. However, the statement made clear that Pakistan would not take the field against India.

“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026. However, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15 February 2026 against India,” the post said.

No official reason was given for the boycott. The PCB is yet to formally inform the International Cricket Council (ICC) of the decision.

The India-Pakistan match is traditionally the most high-profile and commercially valuable fixture in any ICC tournament. Since 2012, the ICC has placed the two teams in the same group in every major event to ensure at least one meeting, despite the absence of bilateral series between the rivals for the past 14 years due to strained diplomatic relations.

If the boycott goes ahead, the 2026 T20 World Cup will become the first men’s ICC event since 2010 not to feature an India-Pakistan group-stage match. There has been no indication yet on what would happen if the two teams were to meet later in the knockout stages.

Uncertainty over Pakistan’s participation intensified after Bangladesh were removed from the tournament on January 24 following their refusal to play in India, citing security concerns. Pakistan had publicly supported Bangladesh’s request for an alternative venue and criticised the ICC for what it described as double standards favouring India. At the time, Mohsin Naqvi said the final decision would rest with the government.

Speculation later grew that Pakistan would boycott only the match against India rather than the entire tournament. This view gained strength after the PCB submitted its squad within the ICC deadline and briefly released a statement—later deleted—indicating the team would travel to Sri Lanka.

Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside India, Netherlands, Namibia and the United States. All of Pakistan’s matches will be played in Sri Lanka. They open their campaign against the Netherlands on February 7, followed by matches against the USA on February 10 and Namibia on February 18.

If Pakistan forfeit the match against India, they will lose two points. Under ICC playing conditions, Pakistan’s net run rate will also be negatively affected by the forfeit, while India’s net run rate will remain unchanged.