Pakistan, India to clash in men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Feb 15

Staff Report

LAHORE: India and Pakistan will play each other in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup on February 15 in Colombo as per the tournament schedule that will be unveiled by the ICC in Mumbai on Tuesday. The marquee contest –– the first time the two teams are meeting since three heated contests at the 2025 Asia Cup –– will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium and is India’s third group match. India and Pakistan have been grouped along with USA, Netherlands and Namibia. India play their first group match against USA in Mumbai on February 7, the opening day of the T20 World Cup. They then take on Namibia in Delhi on February 12, followed by Pakistan, and their final group game is against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad on February 18. There will be three matches a day during the group stage of the tournament. The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup from February 7 to March 8 is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with Pakistan playing all their games in Colombo or Kandy. The format is the same as the previous tournament in 2024 in the USA and West Indies, where the 20 teams were divided into five groups of four. The top two teams from each of the four groups progress to a Super Eight phase, where they will be further divided into two groups of four each. The top two teams in each of the two Super Eights groups will qualify for the semi-finals, which will be followed by the final.

If India progress from the group stage, their three Super Eight matches will be in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata. If they make the final four, their semi-final will be in Mumbai. It is understood the ICC has shortlisted Colombo or Kolkata as the other semi-final venue depending on whether Sri Lanka and Pakistan qualify. The final will be played in Ahmedabad, unless Pakistan qualify in which case it is likely to be in Colombo. Apart from hosts India and Sri Lanka, the other 18 teams participating in the T20 World Cup are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States of America, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman and UAE India are the defending champions, having beaten South Africa in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados.