Pakistan will participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 but will boycott its highly anticipated group-stage match against arch-rival India, scheduled for February 15, the Government of Pakistan announced on Sunday. “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 15th February 2026 against India,” the statement said. The development came after a high-level meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi. While Pakistan will travel to India and Sri Lanka for the multi-nation event, the boycott of the India match is expected to result in a forfeit, handing India full points for the fixture. The T20 World Cup is set to run from February 7 to March 8 across venues in India and Sri Lanka, with the Pakistan-India fixture originally slated to be played in Colombo.
