India vs Pakistan: The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 India vs Pakistan group stage match, which is scheduled on 15th February at the R Premedasa Stadium, Colombo, is under clouds. Through a social media post, Pakistan announced on Sunday that they will feature in the competition, but Pakistan denied playing the match against their arch-rivals. This decision was taken after Bangladesh’s exit from the T20 World Cup.
The Bangla Tigers were removed after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected their proposal to shift their matches from India due to ‘security concerns’. The India vs Pakistan match is always the talk of the cricketing fraternity, now it’s making the headlines for the wrong reasons outside cricket. Former cricketers and pundits have had their say on the matter. Cricketers like Harbhajan Singh, Shahid Afridi, and Danish Kaneria had their say on the matter.
Kapil Dev has his views on the India vs Pakistan rift
Former India captain and World Cup winner Kapil Dev has been the latest addition to the list, as he had an exclusive interview with NDTV, and during the conversation, he was asked to share his insights. If this boycott decision came from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), it would end up hurting Pakistan’s reputation and also harm the future of the current and upcoming cricketers in the country.
Kapil Dev, while speaking with NDTV, said, “If the decision was taken by the players, they can come out and say. However, if the board says that you will not play, the reputation of the country comes down.”
“It is not looking bright for Pakistan. You are killing the generation. Pakistan have given us fantastic talents over the years. But if you will not allow these boys to play in the World Cup, you are killing the generation and hurting the game. You are being unfair to your own players.”
PCB stance is yet to change
After the social media post from the Pakistan government, the ICC shared its views on Pakistan’s selective style of playing the competition, as they believe that it will not be possible.
They also suggested them to change their stance on the very India vs Pakistan game as it can have a long-term impact on their cricket in the country.
Injustice for the India-Pakistan fans
Kapil Dev feels that it will be an injustice for the fans, as both sets of fans eagerly wait for this fixture. However, it will affect Pakistan cricket more as they might lose fans and supporters if they do not change their stance on the ‘boycott.’
The former India captain concluded, “The emotions and spectators will be impacted. But, in the long run, no one will miss them. People will not think about it for a long time, and they will ultimately move on.”
The India vs Pakistan match generates double the revenue of nearly INR 200-250 crore from the broadcast than any other matches in the ICC events. Pakistan are winless in their last 5 meetings against their arch-rivals across all major competitions. As things stand, ICC is reported to have an emergency meeting to discuss the India vs Pakistan match.
Also Read: Shahid Afridi heartbroken as Pakistan boycott India clash in T20 World Cup 2026
