Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar minced no words as he called a spade a spade, saying Pakistan and India have been clubbed in the same group for the T20 World Cup 2026 just to ensure there is at least one match between the rivals in the 20-team competition. Additionally, he said the two teams have been placed in an easy group to ensure they progress to the next round. It is worth mentioning that the two Asian powerhouses are set to square off in the tournament on February 15 in Colombo.
India and Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA. India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will start as favourites in the high-octane clash against Pakistan, given their record in ICC events against the rival. India also defeated its neighbours three times in the Asia Cup last year, including the final at the Dubai International Stadium.
Pakistan have just defeated India once in the T20 World Cup, and it came in 2021 when the team spearheaded by Babar Azam thrashed Virat Kohli and his side by ten wickets in Dubai.
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“As always in recent World Cups, India and Pakistan are not only placed in the same group to ensure at least one clash between the traditional rivals, but are also invariably put in a fairly easy group to qualify for the next round. So the real battle could well start from the following stage of the tournament,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
In the previous T20 World Cup in 2024, when India ended their 11-year ICC title jinx, Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals after losing to India and the USA in the group stage. Gavaskar reckons the USA would be a stronger team than in 2024, given the experience they have gained by rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in international cricket in Major League Cricket (MLC).
“We saw the USA beat Pakistan in the last edition of the ICC T20 World Cup when they were co-hosts with the West Indies. They have since improved with experience and by rubbing shoulders with some of the best players in the world in Major League Cricket,” wrote Gavaskar.
“The best part of these leagues is that they help to get rid of the awe factor that players from emerging countries often feel towards some of the big names in the game. Sharing dressing rooms with them, seeing how they prepare, and how they deal with failure are things that cannot be taught in any university. That first-hand experience is what helps to drive their individual games forward,” he added.
Will Pakistan participate?
It remains to be seen whether Pakistan will participate in the T20 World Cup, as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that the final call will be taken on either January 30 or February 2. Pakistan are considering pulling out after Bangladesh were shown the door following their refusal to travel to India, citing security concerns.
The ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the T20 World Cup, which ruffled a few feathers within the PCB. Naqvi addressed the media on January 24, saying the team will pull out if the Pakistan Prime Minister asks them to do so.
Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister of Pakistan, then met Shehbaz Sharif on Monday evening, and eventually he declared on social media that the final call will be taken on the coming Friday or Monday.
