Pakistan will play India on February 15, 2026, in Colombo, after the government stepped in to reverse a boycott that threatened to cancel the biggest match of the T20 World Cup. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the decision following a phone call with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, ending a 48-hour crisis that put millions of dollars in broadcast revenue at risk.
The Pakistan Cricket Board had announced it would skip the India fixture in solidarity with Bangladesh, which was removed from the tournament over security concerns. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister, initially backed the boycott after the government ordered the team not to take the field. But ICC officials flew to Lahore and warned that skipping one match while playing others could cost Pakistan its share of tournament funds.
Why Pakistan Changed Its Mind
The reversal came after the International Cricket Council made it clear that selective participation was not allowed. ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja met with PCB officials in Lahore and explained that broadcast contracts and sponsorship deals depended on the India-Pakistan match going ahead. Reports suggest Pakistan would have lost up to ₹1300 crore if the boycott continued, which would have hit the board harder than any other member country except Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka played a key role in ending the standoff. President Dissanayake spoke directly with Sharif and reminded him that Pakistan’s matches were being hosted in Colombo under a neutral venue agreement reached in December 2024. The T20 conflict had already caused problems for tournament organizers, and Sri Lanka wanted to protect its reputation as co-host.
Bangladesh Cricket Board President Aminul Islam also traveled to Pakistan and asked officials to let the match proceed. BCB said it wanted to protect the global cricket calendar even though it was excluded from the tournament. In return, the ICC promised Bangladesh would host a major event before the 2031 Men’s World Cup and confirmed it would not face any penalties.
The Government Takes Over
Pakistan’s decision to end the Pakistan boycott was made at the cabinet level, not by cricket officials. Naqvi’s dual role as both PCB chairman and a government minister meant the board could not act independently. Sources say the Prime Minister’s Office reviewed the financial and diplomatic costs before giving final approval.
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The ICC had warned that withdrawing from one fixture could damage Pakistan’s future funding. Smaller cricket boards like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies depend more on ICC revenue distributions than richer boards in India, Australia, and England. A boycott would have set a bad precedent and put Pakistan’s share of future broadcast deals in doubt.
Pakistan had already beaten the Netherlands in their opening match on February 7 and were scheduled to face the United States on February 10. The team will now complete the rest of their group fixtures in Sri Lanka as planned. The India match remains the highest revenue generator of the tournament and is expected to draw record television audiences across South Asia.
The government said its decision was based on requests from friendly countries and a need to protect the spirit of cricket. Officials also pointed to the ICC’s multilateral discussions and Bangladesh’s own request to move forward. Former Pakistan captains Shahid Afridi and Rashid Latif both supported playing the match, saying cricket should not be held hostage to political disputes.
Pakistan are the 2009 T20 World Cup champion and has not played bilateral cricket against India regularly since political tensions increased after the 1947 partition. The two countries have fought four wars and remain divided over Kashmir, but they continue to meet in ICC tournaments under neutral conditions.
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