Pakistan’s much-hyped Group A clash against India at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be a no-go as news of their boycott has already sent shockwaves through cricketing spheres. The news came in a brief official update on the X account of the Government of Pakistan, which said that while permission had been given for the national team to compete in a tournament, they would not field a side in a fixture set for February 15, 2026. The statement did not give a reason for the decision and also added that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) itself has not yet informed cricket’s world governing body about its boycott.
India’s clash with Pakistan is known to be cricket biggest attraction worldwide, leading to record television viewership besides commercial value for ICC events. It is for that reason the ICC has, for the past four to five years, ensured both sides are part of the same group in every world event (and decided to cash in on collective interests despite no bilateral series between them in the last 11 years, thanks to strained diplomatic relations). If the boycott holds, next year’s T20 World Cup will be only the second men’s ICC tournament since 2010 not to feature an India–Pakistan group-stage encounter.
Pakistan’s position follows weeks of uncertainty over its participation in the tournament. The doubts first appeared in January when Bangladesh were forced out of the World Cup after refusing to play matches hosted in India, citing security issues. Pakistan was the lone country that openly endorsed Bangladesh’s demand for an alternative venue and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi lashed out at the ICC, accusing it of double standards and being biased in favour of India. Naqvi later said the government would, at the highest level, make the final decision of Pakistan’s participation.
There had been speculation that Pakistan would be destined to be not the party-poopers at this World Cup, but to withdraw from the event altogether and focus only on their game against India. That perception was hard to shake when the PCB released its World Cup squad in time for an ICC deadline, and even briefly updated with a message (since deleted) that the team would fly to one of two tournament co-hosts, India or Sri Lanka, following their current series. Pakistan will play all their group games in Sri Lanka, against the Netherlands on February 7, the USA on February 10 and Namibia on February 18.
The loss of two points will be an important one for Pakistan and could seriously affect their progression to the knockout phase. Per ICC playing conditions, the team’s net run rate will also be impacted by a forfeiture, while that of India will remain unaffected. The ICC has yet to indicate how it will react should the boycott be officially ratified, reining in fears that the escalating wider implications for the tournament.
