Who: India vs Pakistan
Content: ICC 2026 T20 World Cup
Location: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka
When: Sunday, February 15th, 7pm (13:30 GMT)
How to follow: All content will be broadcast on Al Jazeera Sports from 9:30 GMT, ahead of the text commentary stream.
One of the world’s most-watched sporting events will be on the screens of viewers around the world on Sunday, after last-minute talks reversed Pakistan’s decision to boycott the T20 World Cup match against its neighbor and rival India.
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In a show of solidarity with the Bangladeshi team, the Pakistani government intervened to prevent group stage matches from being held after Bangladesh were expelled from the tournament for refusing to play in India.
After consultations with the game’s governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), Bangladesh and tournament co-host Sri Lanka, Pakistan withdrew its decision.
Al Jazeera Sports will cover the match, but the question will return to the on-field matchup, but handshakes and gestures will once again be in the spotlight.
What happened the last time India played against Pakistan?
Sunday’s group stage match will be a repeat of the 2025 Asia Cup final, which India won by five wickets.
The match, like the teams’ encounters earlier in the tournament, was overshadowed by the lack of a handshake between the two teams and India’s refusal to be presented with the trophy by Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Cricket Board chairman and home minister.
Why is Pakistan allowed to play in Sri Lanka and not India, but not in Bangladesh?
India and Pakistan have reached an agreement in 2024 that matches between the two countries will be played at neutral venues, even if either side hosts the tournament.
Bangladesh’s later refusal to play a match in India before the tournament citing safety concerns was not with the consent or sanction of the ICC.
A Pakistani player’s life was changed by an Indian cricketer
Pakistan’s Usman Tariq abandoned his cricketing ambitions in his homeland and took up a job as a salesman in Dubai, but a biopic on Indian great Mahendra Singh Dhoni changed his life.
The double-jointed spinner’s unusual bowling action created a lot of buzz in his maiden T20 World Cup and now he will be one of Pakistan’s main weapons going into Sunday’s comeback match against India.
His inspiration came from India. Tariq admits that if he had not watched the 2016 Bollywood film MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, he might not be playing cricket now.
The film, based on the life of India’s World Cup-winning captain, tells a story of grit, rejection and ultimate glory that made Tariq believe it’s never too late to chase your ambitions.
“I had forgotten the idea of making a name for myself in cricket, but one day I watched this film and I was convinced that I can do the same,” Tariq said.
Tariq, now 30 years old, left Dubai and wandered the world to grow as a mystery spinner.
Pakistan captain Salman Agha maintained that Tariq will be a special weapon against his arch-rivals after he was cleared to play following a U-turn by the Islamabad government, which revoked an earlier order to boycott the game against India.
“Tariq is our X-factor and an important weapon,” Agha said before the tournament after Pakistan used him sparingly to protect his unique action.
Since making his international debut just three months ago, Tariq has picked up 11 wickets in four T20 internationals, including a hat-trick against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi.
He scored a game-clinching victory in his World Cup debut against the United States in Colombo this week, going 3-for-27.
Why is Tariq’s bowling act so controversial?
The 28-year-old’s bizarre bowling behavior, which has been reported as illegal twice in the past two years, has been cleared by the ICC’s institute.
There is an element of mystery in his exaggerated pause before releasing the ball like a slingshot.
England’s Tom Bunton questioned Tariq’s actions in last year’s UAE T20 League.
Australian all-rounder Cameron Green copied Tariq’s roundarm during the pre-World Cup T20 series in Lahore, but new questions arose.
However, Indian player Ravichandran Ashwin, an excellent spinner himself, and umpire Anil Chaudhary declared Tariq’s bowling action to be within the rules.
“I believe it is completely legal,” Ashwin wrote to X, explaining several factors in the lawsuit.
Tariq is unfazed by doubters.
“My bowling arm has two horns on the elbow, which is unusual,” Tariq said. “I’ve been licensed twice so I’m sure it’s legal.
“I’ve been through a lot so far, so I’m not worried about such baseless questions.”
Tariq’s progress has been rapid. He took 20 wickets in last year’s Caribbean Premier League and forced his way into the Pakistan team.
“Last year, when I was busy with a wedding, my coach informed me about my selection in the Pakistan team. At first I thought it was a prank,” Tariq said.
“But it was true, so I guess my wife brought me luck.”
From a salesman in Dubai to Pakistan’s potential trump card against India, Tariq’s script is still being written.
Colombo gets a boost from Indian and Pakistani tourists
Thousands of fans flock to Colombo to watch the India-Pakistan match, sending prices for flights and hotel reservations to Colombo, Sri Lanka soaring.
The match at Sri Lanka’s largest stadium has sold out with around 35,000 tickets sold, and most hotels in Colombo have doubled their prices ahead of the match. According to multiple booking sites, the price for a room has increased to $660 per night, up from the usual $100 to $150 per night.
Three travel agencies in Colombo said flights from major cities such as Chennai and Delhi were fully booked after the match was finalized this week due to last-minute bookings.
Flights from Chennai, about an hour and a half away, have more than tripled in price to between $623 and $756, while tickets from Delhi have increased more than 50% to $666.
Sri Lanka Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) president Nalin Jayasundera said the hotels were fully booked. “Most fans come with all-inclusive packages ranging from $1,500 to $2,000 or more depending on ticket, hotel and flight prices,” Jayasundera said.
Famous for its ancient temples, pristine beaches and lush tea plantations, tourism is Sri Lanka’s third largest foreign exchange earner.
It is hoped that hosting more sporting events will help boost economic growth in Sri Lanka, which is recovering from a severe financial crisis and a recent cyclone that killed 650 people.
Budhika Hewawasam, chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Board, told Reuters that about 20% of the 100,000 people who visited Sri Lanka in the first 10 days of February were there for the India-Pakistan cricket match.
The island nation wants to position itself as a neutral venue for matches between political rivals.
“This clearly shows confidence in Sri Lanka as a neutral cricket venue. Whether it’s India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, this is a welcome message to all South Asian countries that they can play cricket in Sri Lanka,” he said.
Lahore local Mian Sultan is looking forward to traveling to Sri Lanka to watch the match.
“I think it’s going to be a great experience,” said Sultan, who spent $800 to watch the game with a friend who flew in from New Zealand for a front row seat. “I’m really excited for this match.”
Sultan added that he thinks Pakistan can “absolutely” come out on top on Sunday.
Predict Indian team news
Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson/Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah
Expected Pakistan team
Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Salman Mirza, Salman Ali Agha (c), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah Pacer, Abrar Ahmed
