BREAKING NEWS: Pakistan to play the 2026 T20 World Cup, but boycott India vs Pakistan clash

Pakistan will participate in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 but will not compete against India during their February 15 scheduled match. The tournament will take place between February 7 and March 8, 2023, with games scheduled to be played throughout India and Sri Lanka.

Approval granted with a major condition 

The Government of Pakistan announced its decision through a statement posted on X, which confirmed that the Pakistan Cricket Board received permission to participate in the event. The statement made it clear that Pakistan will not take the field for the India clash.

The statement declared that "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 15 February 2026 against India." The Group A fixture between India and Pakistan was originally scheduled to be played in Colombo after the International Cricket Council shifted Pakistan’s matches to Sri Lanka. Pakistan refused to play its fixtures in India because of ongoing political tensions between the two nations.

ALSO SEE: Sarfaraz Ahmed caught red-handed for breaking ICC rule during IND vs PAK U19 World Cup 2026 match

Why Pakistan decided to boycott the India clash

The situation escalated when Bangladesh requested to move its matches from India because of security concerns. Bangladesh withdrew from the tournament after ICC denied its request which resulted in Scotland being selected as a replacement team. Pakistan backed Bangladesh's position during an ICC Board meeting yet the country threatened to boycott the entire tournament to support Bangladesh. 

Pakistan interior minister Mohsin Naqvi and PCB chairman conducted talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif about the matter which created uncertainty regarding Pakistan's upcoming match. The government has decided to implement a partial boycott instead of fully withdrawing from the situation.

The current agreement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the PCB requires India and Pakistan to compete at ICC events only in neutral locations. The 2026 T20 World Cup will become a major discussion topic because Pakistan will fulfill its participation obligation yet no India-Pakistan match will occur.