Security has become the biggest talking point ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, and Sri Lanka is leaving nothing to chance.
With the tournament just days away, the island nation has decided to bring in elite armed forces to guard all teams, especially for high-voltage matches involving India and Pakistan.
Elite security put in place for T20 World Cup 2026
Sri Lanka is co-hosting the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 with India and will stage 20 matches between February 7 and March 8. One of the most sensitive fixtures of the tournament will be the India vs Pakistan clash, which is scheduled to take place in Colombo on February 15.
Given the long history of political tension between the two countries, the India vs Pakistan match has been marked as a top-security event, and Sri Lanka is “paying special attention to the India-Pakistan matches.”
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Sri Lankan sports minister Sunil Kumara Gamage made it clear that the safety of players, officials, and fans is their “highest priority” to ensure the tournament runs smoothly.
India vs Pakistan clash under high alert in Sri Lanka
As reported by AFP, special commando units, which are normally used to protect visiting heads of state, will be deployed throughout the T20 World Cup 2026. These armed units will “guard teams from the moment they land at the airport until they leave the country” after their matches.
Security teams will escort players during travel, hotel stays, training sessions, and match days. The focus will be even stronger for India vs Pakistan games, as the matches between the two nations have often become emotionally charged due to political issues.
Apart from security, Sri Lanka has also used the upcoming T20 World Cup as a chance to upgrade its cricket infrastructure. New floodlights have been installed at the Singhalese Sports Club in Colombo, while Pallekele Stadium in Kandy is also ready for the mega event.
SLC stays neutral in ICC-Bangladesh-Pakistan row
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has remained silent on the ICC-Bangladesh row. The SLC chose to stay completely neutral and avoided taking sides despite Pakistan having hinted that it may still consider boycotting the T20 World Cup 2026 in support of Bangladesh.
Reacting to their stand, the SLC said that they wanted to keep sports separate from politics and focus only on successfully hosting the tournament. However, Sri Lanka is ready to host future tournaments for any country if asked.
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Cricket Secretary Bandula Dissanayake was quoted as saying by AFP Colombo: “In these disputes among India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, we are remaining neutral; all of these are friendly nations.”
ICC not happy with Pakistan
Notably, Bangladesh had raised security concerns and asked for their matches to be moved out of India. However, the ICC rejected the request after conducting security checks. Bangladesh then pulled out of the tournament, leading to Scotland being brought in as their replacement.
It is also being said that the ICC is not happy with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s confrontational stance if Pakistan withdraws from the T20 World Cup 2026.
