A big drama is going on around the India vs Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup 2026, but Ravichandran Ashwin feels there is no way this match will be cancelled. The former India spinner is fully confident that the high-voltage India vs Pakistan match will go ahead as planned on February 15 in Colombo, even after Pakistan’s government asked its team to skip the game.
Pakistan’s shock decision before the T20 World Cup 2026
Pakistan recently announced that it will take part in the T20 World Cup 2026, which is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, but will not play against the Men in Blue in the group stage. This decision was taken to show support for Bangladesh after their removal from the tournament.
The move shocked the cricket world because the India vs Pakistan match is scheduled at a neutral venue with no security issues, unlike past situations. Following the announcement, the ICC has warned the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to rethink its decision.
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So far, PCB has still not sent any official written communication to the ICC, which has added more confusion to the situation. The ICC has also made it clear that selective boycotts can harm the entire cricket system and hurt Pakistan itself in the long run if they boycott the India game.
Ravichandran Ashwin confident India vs Pakistan match will happen
Reacting to the India vs Pakistan drama, Ashwin feels the T20 World Cup 2026 match is too big to be cancelled and believes that the financial pressure will force Pakistan to play. He pointed out that broadcasters would demand huge compensation if the match is skipped.
Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat: “100 percent, the match between India and Pakistan will happen. I feel that it will happen. The next 3-4 days will see these decisions being overturned. And that’s my hunch, and I hope I get to see the India-Pakistan encounter. Because there are a lot of business decisions in this. Pakistan has another problem.”
India vs Pakistan: Money pressure and PSL risk could force U-Turn
He continued, “There may also be financial loss, as you will have to reimburse the broadcasters whatever loss they have incurred. So, I think they will have to come to a compromise. The financial thing involved in this will mean that other ICC member countries too will face a loss. In the ICC meeting, all these members will say, “Because of Pakistan, we are getting these losses.”
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The former Indian all-rounder also warned that such a move could badly affect the Pakistan Super League (PSL), as foreign players may refuse to take part, citing security concerns. Ashwin further noted, “PSL is also going to happen. Even in PSL, players can say that we will not come.”
Ashwin calls boycott unacceptable at ‘neutral venue’
He compared the ongoing India vs Pakistan clash issue with the 1996 and 2003 World Cups, where teams skipped matches only because of security or travel problems at certain venues, not because of the opponent. He said Colombo is a safe and neutral venue, with no risks involved.
The former Indian off-spinner stressed that Pakistan’s demand is unacceptable and hopes better sense “prevails” and fans will get to see the high-voltage on-field actions between the arch rivals.
Ravi Ashwin said, “As Pakistan boycotted their match against India, they’ll have to pay the compensation demanded by the broadcasters. They’ll have to bear the losses, & if they don’t, all foreign players could boycott the PSL citing security concerns.”pic.twitter.com/MaM30FFBWm
— Suprvirat (@Mostlykohli) February 4, 2026
