In a thrilling encounter, India and Pakistan are once again set to cross swords in an ICC event when the Match 27 of the ongoing Men's T20 World Cup 2026 gets underway on Sunday, February 15, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The winner of this Group A encounter will confirm their qualification for the Super Eights in the twenty-team tournament.
However, if rain plays spoilsport, both the teams will get a point each, with any other changes unlikely to the Points Table. The match shall be declared
a No Result only when both teams are unable to complete at least five overs in their innings. To ensure that the match happens on the same day despite a rain or weather-enforced delay, the ICC has also allotted 60 minutes of time in addition to the original scheduled duration of the match.
The India-Pakistan match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM (Indian Standard Time), and the match is expected to end by 10:10 PM. However, in case of a rain delay, the umpires and match referee should be of the opinion that the match with revised overs shall end by 11:10 PM, which is also the cut-off time (an additional 60 minutes provided).
Moreover, according to the T20 World Cup 2026's Playing Conditions laid down by the ICC,
Save for circumstances where a match is awarded to a team as a consequence of the opposing team’s refusal to play (clause 16.2), all matches in which both teams have not had an opportunity of batting for a minimum of 5 overs (10 overs in the semi-finals and final), shall be declared a No Result.
Thus, both teams should be able to bat for at least five overs each in case there is a delay in the scheduled start of the match.
Now, in case the match is still not able to happen and gets abandoned, India will maintain their top spot on the points table with five points. Pakistan, meanwhile, are expected to hold their position, too. The net run-rate (NRR) of both sides will remain unaffected due to a no result.
What is the weather forecast for Colombo on Sunday, February 15?
According to the weather report, there is a 65 per cent chance of precipitation on Sunday, February 15, which is highly likely to affect the fate of the India versus Pakistan encounter. However, by 9:00 PM on Sunday, the chances of rain go down to only 10 per cent, which is a great sign, as the chances of the match ending in a definite result do remain positive.
