Pakistan to Boycott India Match in T20 World Cup

Pakistan will participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 but will boycott its group-stage match against India, the Pakistani government has announced.
In an official statement issued on Sunday, Islamabad confirmed that it has granted permission to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the national team to take part in the World Cup. However, the government has decided that Pakistan will not play its scheduled match against India on February 15, citing objections to the ICC’s recent decision involving Bangladesh.
The decision follows a high-level meeting held on January 26 in Islamabad between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. During the meeting, the government provided policy guidance on Pakistan’s participation in the tournament, which has now been formally communicated.
The controversy stems from Bangladesh’s exclusion from the World Cup. Earlier, Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Indian Premier League (IPL) by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), reportedly due to security concerns. Subsequently, Bangladesh refused to travel to India for the World Cup on similar grounds.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s matches to co-host Sri Lanka, but the request was rejected after multiple rounds of discussions. The ICC ultimately replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament.
Pakistan has consistently protested the ICC’s decision, expressing solidarity with Bangladesh. The boycott of the India match marks a significant escalation of that protest, raising fresh questions about the tournament’s scheduling and political implications.
The ICC has not yet issued an official response to Pakistan’s announcement.