India and Pakistan will face each other in next year’s T20 World Cup 2026 on February 15 at the R Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo as per the tournament schedule, which will be unveiled by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Mumbai on November 25. The marquee contest- the first time two teams have met since the heated Asia Cup game- is India’s third group-stage clash.

It has been reported that both these arch-rivals have been grouped along with the United States of America (USA), the Netherlands, and Namibia. India’s opening clash of the event will be against the USA on the opening day, February 08, before they take on Namibia on February 12, followed by Pakistan.

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The final group-stage encounter for the Suryakumar Yadav-led side will be on February 18 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad against the Netherlands. There will be three games a day during the group stage of the event, as it will be stretched to March 8, with the games in Sri Lanka being played in Colombo and Kandy.

India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 clash to take place on February 15 in Colombo

The format is the same as the previous event in 2024 in the USA and West Indies, where the 20 teams were divided into five groups of four, with the top two teams from each of the four groups progressing into the Super Eight phase, where they will be further divided into two groups of four each. The top two will qualify for the semifinals, followed by the final.

If India progresses to the second stage, then their three Super Eight games will be played in Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Kolkata, as the semi-final will be at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The ICC has shortlisted Colombo or Kolkata as the other semifinal venue, depending on the qualification.

India are the defending champions, having beaten South Africa in the final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Apart from the hosts, the other 18 teams participating in the World Cup are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, the United States of America, the West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman, and the UAE.