After two weeks of back and forth, late into Monday night Pakistan government put an end to the speculations, confirming their cricket team’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 clash against India. The two teams are scheduled to play on February 15 at the R Premadasa Stadium in the Group A clash.
From Scotland being replaced by Bangladesh to Pakistan considering boycotting the India match to having a change of heart a week later, a lot has happened in the last 15 days. For now, however, the issue is put to rest with both teams set to take the field in Colombo on Sunday. Here is a low down on the timeline of how it all panned out...
Jan 24, 2026: The International Cricket Council replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in Group C after their request to shift matches out of India was denied. They wanted to play in Sri Lanka, citing security reasons following the removal of Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders Squad at the directive of the BCCI.
On the same day, Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi said that Bangladesh had been treated unfairly. The interior minister also went on to add that a decision on potential boycott will be taken by the Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Jan 25, 2026: With speculations rife in the air about the ripple effect and implications of a potential boycott, Pakistan announced their 15-member squad for the global event. Salman Ali Agha led the team which also included Babar Azam.
Jan 26, 2026: The PCB chief clarifies that the final call will be taken by the Prime Minister in the days to follow after a meeting with PM Shehbaz Sharif. “Had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. Briefed him on the ICC matter, and he directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table. It was agreed that the final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday," Naqvi posted on X.
Feb 1, 2026: On Sunday evening, the Pakistan government took to social media to announce that the cricket team would travel to Sri Lanka but would not take part in the clash against India on February 15. The PCB, meanwhile, does not have a public comment while ICC warns them of the ramifications and asks to reconsider the decision.
Debates continue as to whether PCB could go ahead with it and what are the effects it may have not just for them but the rest of the countries, especially with the marquee clash being a major reason behind the massive sum the broadcasters had paid for the rights. Amidst the earlier misgivings between JioHotstar and ICC over media rights for these events, the former felt that the existing rights deal was inflated. Without this game, they would definitely feel that way and may even demand the ICC to return some of the money they received from the broadcaster.
Feb 2, 2026: The ripple effect was already visible with hotels getting cancelled in Sri Lanka. The loss of this one match could hit their tourism industry by a few millions. Indians were expected to travel by their thousands as it's just a short flight (80 minutes from Chennai), but with uncertainty over this one clash — which reportedly valued close to an exaggerated $250 million — the interest may go down.
Feb 3, 2026: Reports of backchannel talks begin with ICC deputy chair Imran Khwaja taking the lead to convince Pakistan into reconsidering.
Feb 5, 2026: Sri Lanka Cricket writes a letter to the PCB reminding of the past instances where they stood with Pakistan and inform them of the impact the forfeiture would have. "Yes, we have written a letter to the PCB," Bandula Dissanayake, secretary SLC, told this daily. Speaking on the content of the letter, Dissanayake said, "We tried to highlight things we have done for Pakistan cricket in their difficult times in the past. We expressed our concerns over their decision as all the preparations have been done here for the match. We categorically told them that not only Sri Lanka cricket but we as a country are losing because of this decision. They are hurting Sri Lanka's economy. It will hurt tourism here in the country. Our economy will take a hit because of this one decision."
Feb 7, 2026: Amidst reports of Pakistan invoking the Force Majeure clause, where it is a government decision to boycott the India clash, ICC asks for justification from the board. The backchannel talks continue with more meetings set to happen in the days to come.
Feb 8, 2026: ICC deputy chair and Emirates Cricket Board chief Imran Khwaja lands in Pakistan along with Bangladesh Cricket Board chair Aminul Islam. They meet with PCB officials and Naqvi to discuss the boycott and resolve the issue before it has major implications.
Feb 9, 2026: Naqvi met the Prime Minister as BCB released a statement asking Pakistan to take part in the India match. “We are deeply moved by Pakistan’s efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period. Long may our brotherhood flourish. Following my short visit to Pakistan yesterday and given the forthcoming outcomes of our discussions, I request Pakistan to play the ICC T20 World Cup game on 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem,” Islam said.
ICC releases a press note about the fruitful meeting in Pakistan. As a result, it said there will be no penalty or sanction for BCB and that Bangladesh will host an ICC event prior to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2031, subject to the usual ICC hosting processes, timelines and operational requirements. This comes on the back of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup being moved from Bangladesh to UAE due to civil unrest in the country. This statement indicates that the India-Pakistan clash may go ahead. In the hours that followed, Pakistan government took to social media to confirm its participation in the clash, putting an end to a two-week long controversy that kept the entire cricketing world on its toes.
