India vs Pakistan Set for T20 World Cup Clash in Colombo
Exciting Showdown Scheduled for February 15
India and Pakistan are set to face off in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on February 15 in Colombo, as revealed in the tournament schedule that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will announce in Mumbai on Tuesday.
This highly anticipated match will be the first encounter between the two rivals since India triumphed in a series of intense games during this year's Asia Cup, which was marked by significant controversies both on and off the field. The match will take place at the R Premadasa Stadium and will be India's third game in the tournament.
As reported by ESPNCricinfo, India and Pakistan will compete in a group alongside the USA, Namibia, and the Netherlands.
India will kick off their tournament journey against the USA in Mumbai on February 7, the opening day of the event. Following this, the 'Men in Blue' will travel to Delhi for a match against Namibia on February 12. Their final group stage match will be held against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Notably, three matches are scheduled to occur each day during the group phase.
The 2026 T20 World Cup will run from February 7 to March 8, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with Pakistan playing all its matches in Colombo or Kandy. The tournament format remains the same, featuring 20 teams divided into groups of four.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight stage, where they will be further divided into groups of four. The leading two teams from these groups will progress to the semifinals.
Should India reach the Super Eight stage, their matches will take place in Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Kolkata. If they advance to the semifinals, one will be held in Mumbai, while the other will be in either Colombo or Kolkata, depending on whether Pakistan or Sri Lanka qualifies. The final is set to occur in Ahmedabad, but if Pakistan reaches the final, it may be relocated to Colombo.
In addition to India and Sri Lanka, the tournament will feature 18 other teams: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, the USA, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman, and the UAE.
India enters the tournament as the defending champion, having secured victory against South Africa in the final of the 2024 edition held in Barbados.