India captain Suryakumar Yadav has made it clear that his team is fully prepared to play their scheduled T20 World Cup 2026 group stage match against Pakistan, even as controversy continues around a possible boycott. While Pakistan has confirmed participation in the tournament, they have also announced plans to skip the February 15 match against India. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif repeated the country’s stance, and Captain Salman Ali Agha said the team would follow government instructions.
India’s Stand Remains Clear on Playing the Match
Speaking during the T20 World Cup 2026 Captains’ Day press conference, Suryakumar Yadav emphasized that India has never refused to play the match and confirmed the team’s travel plans. He added that the players are focused on their schedule and will be present in Colombo as planned.
“I think mindset is pretty clear. We have not said no to playing the match. It came from the other side. ICC has given the official fixtures. BCCI and the government has decided on a neutral venue along with ICC. Our flight is booked for Colombo. So we are going for sure,” Suryakumar Yadav said.
Suryakumar Yadav also mentioned that the team is concentrating on their opening fixture before shifting attention to the high-profile clash.
“The team discussion is that we are playing first on February 7, then we will go there,” Suryakumar Yadav added.
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BCCI Awaits ICC Decision on the Situation
As discussions around the potential boycott continue, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has made it clear that it will follow the ICC’s decision. BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla stated that the board will act according to the governing body’s final ruling.
Rajeev Shukla said to ANI, “BCCI has nothing to say on this (on Shehbaz’s statement). ICC has to decide on this, and whatever ICC says, we will go according to that decision…”
Pakistan Government Reaffirms Boycott Position
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif once again confirmed the country’s position regarding the February 15 group stage match in Sri Lanka. Addressing the federal cabinet, he said the government had carefully considered the matter before deciding to boycott the game.
“We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India,” Pakistan PM said while addressing the federal cabinet in Islamabad. Sharif added that they have decided to boycott the India match after careful assessment and called for an appropriate decision.“There should be no politics in sports,” he said. “We have taken this stand after deliberating on it carefully,” he said, calling it an “appropriate decision”.
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