Decks cleared for India-Pakistan game on February 15

The much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash at the T20 World Cup 2026 is set to go ahead as per the original schedule on February 15 in Colombo. This follows a tripartite meeting involving the International Cricket Council, Pakistan Cricket Board, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board in Lahore.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has cleared his team's participation in the Colombo match. PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi met with Sharif, and the Prime Minister has given the go-ahead.

"Following the ICC press release, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Pakistani cricket team to play the match against India on February 15," PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said in a statement.

It is also learnt that Sharif spoke to Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, informing him of the decision to play. Sri Lanka Cricket had earlier pleaded with the PCB not to boycott the India game, citing potential heavy financial losses for the island nation.

No sanctions on BCB; Bangladesh to host an ICC event before 2031

Meanwhile, the ICC has agreed to take a lenient view of Bangladesh, despite their refusal to play in India and subsequent replacement in the tournament with Scotland. The ICC stated it would not impose any sanctions on the BCB.

"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," BCB president Aminul Islam said.

The ICC confirmed there will be no financial, sporting, or administrative penalty on the Bangladesh Cricket Board. The BCB retains the right to seek redressal at the Disputes Resolution Committee.

As part of an understanding, an agreement has been reached that Bangladesh will host an ICC event prior to the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2031, which is set to be co-hosted by India and Bangladesh. This arrangement is subject to the usual ICC hosting processes and requirements.