Pakistan will boycott their Group A match against India at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the government confirmed on Friday.

In a statement posted on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Government of Pakistan, and cited by Tigerexch, authorities said they had granted permission for the national team to travel to Sri Lanka for the tournament, but made it clear that Pakistan would not take the field for the match scheduled on 15 February 2026 against India.

The statement did not provide any reason for the decision. It read:

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 Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to formally notify the ICC of the boycott.

Most Lucrative Fixture in Doubt

An India-Pakistan clash is traditionally the most-watched and commercially valuable fixture in any ICC tournament. To capitalise on its popularity, the ICC has placed the two teams in the same group at every global event since 2012, despite the fact that the rivals have not played a bilateral series in 14 years due to strained diplomatic relations.

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

Background: Bangladesh Controversy

Pakistan’s participation in the tournament had come under question after Bangladesh were removed from the competition on January 24 for refusing to play matches in India, citing security concerns. Pakistan was the only country to openly support Bangladesh’s request for a neutral venue and accused the ICC of double standards favouring India.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said at the time that the final decision would rest with the government. After meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Naqvi indicated that all options remained open. With a final call expected by early February.

Group A and Points Impact

Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA. With all their matches scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka, a co-host of the tournament along with India.

Pakistan’s fixtures are:

• February 7: vs Netherlands (opening day)

• February 10: vs USA

• February 18: vs Namibia

By boycotting the India match, Pakistan will forfeit two points, significantly harming their qualification chances. Under ICC playing conditions, Pakistan’s net run rate will also be negatively affected. While India’s net run rate will remain unchanged.

According to Clause 16.10.7 of the ICC Playing Conditions, in the event of a forfeit. The full 20 overs of the defaulting team’s innings are counted in net run rate calculations. Further disadvantaging the team that does not take the field.