The mouthwatering clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan will be played on Sunday, February 15, as the two Asian giants take on each other in Match No. 27 of the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The tie was earlier cancelled by the Pakistan government, but a meeting with the International Cricket Council and Bangladesh Cricket Board led to its reinstatement.
Now that the game is happening, ICC chairman Jay Shah and Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin
Naqvi will be seen watching the match together at the storied venue in Colombo. Several media reports doing the rounds have cited that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has invited both Shah and Naqvi to be in attendance for the highly anticipated encounter.
"Mohsin Naqvi is set to travel to Sri Lanka for Pakistan’s crucial match against India, and it is likely that he and Jay Shah will attend the game together. ICC officials and Indian Board representatives are also expected to be present, with PCB and Indian Board officials stationed at the same venue in Colombo," a report in Pakistan Observer on Saturday, February 14 revealed.
The same report also mentions that Aminul Islam Bulbul, the BCB president, may also be seen seated at the venue for the marquee clash in the twenty-team tournament. For the unversed, Bangladesh had withdrawn from the global event and was replaced by Scotland in Group C alongside England, Nepal, Italy, and the West Indies. Currently, there is no update on which members of the Board of Control for Cricket in India will be travelling to Colombo to watch the match.
If the report is indeed true, it will add fuel to the fire of the mega contest, which will see the first-placed Suryakumar Yadav-led team cross swords with Salman Ali Agha's Men in Green, who are second on the points table. It is worth mentioning that the winner of the upcoming match will be ensuring a qualification for the Super Eights stage, whereas the losing team will have another opportunity to confirm a direct entry.
