T20 World Cup: India ready, Pakistan confirms boycott

The upcoming T20 World Cup clash between India and Pakistan has become the centre of intense debate, with India confirming its readiness to play while Pakistan has officially boycotted the match in support of Bangladesh.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav on Thursday said his team’s plans are clear. “Our mindset is clear. We have not said no to playing against Pakistan. They have. ICC has confirmed the fixture. Our flight is booked and we are going to Colombo,” he said at the pre-tournament captains’ press meet in Mumbai. India will first face the USA on February 7 before heading to Colombo for the February 15 match . Suryakumar added that the game is at a neutral venue and, if the opportunity arises, India will play.

On the other hand, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif defended his country’s decision to skip the match. Calling it an “ appropriate decision ,” he said it was a considered stance to stand by Bangladesh, which had earlier refused to play in India due to security concerns. “We have taken a very clear stand on the T20 World Cup that we won’t play the match against India because there should be no politics on the sports field,” Sharif said.

Bangladesh sports advisor Asif Nazrul responded by posting “Thank You, Pakistan” on social media, quoting Sharif’s statement. The ICC , meanwhile, has warned the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of serious consequences for missing the fixture, highlighting the financial and long-term impact on the global cricket ecosystem .

Pakistan’s team has already arrived in Colombo for other preliminary matches, starting with a game against the Netherlands on Saturday. PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi reaffirmed that the board supports the government’s position, even if a rematch with India occurs during the knockout stage . ICC’s assessment had rated the threat for Bangladesh in India as low to moderate , though Bangladesh reportedly refused to travel after pacer Mustafizur Rahman was ousted from the IPL on BCCI’s instructions amid rising attacks on Hindus.

As the World Cup begins this Saturday, the fate of the high-profile India-Pakistan clash remains uncertain, with India ready to play and Pakistan standing firm on its boycott.