T20 World Cup: India, Pakistan to clash on February 15
What's the story
India and Pakistan are set to face off on February 15 in the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, as per ESPNcricinfo. The match will take place at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. This will be their first encounter since three intense matches during the 2025 Asia Cup. The tournament schedule was revealed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday in Mumbai.
Match schedule
India's group stage matches in T20 World Cup
India has been drawn into a group with the USA, Netherlands, and Namibia. Their first match of the tournament will be against the USA in Mumbai on February 7. After that, they will take on Namibia in Delhi on February 12 before facing Pakistan and ending their group stage campaign against Netherlands in Ahmedabad on February 18.
Format details
Tournament structure and venues
The 2026 Men's T20 World Cup will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. The tournament will follow the same format as the previous edition in 2024, with 20 teams divided into four groups of five. The top two teams from each group will move on to a Super Eight stage, which will then be split into two groups of four.
Progression path
Super Eight and knockout stages
The top two teams from each Super Eight group will qualify for the semi-finals. The final match will be played in Ahmedabad, unless Pakistan makes it to the last four, in which case it is likely to be held in Colombo. If India progresses beyond the group stage, their Super Eight matches will take place in Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Kolkata.
Team roster
Other teams participating in the tournament
Along with hosts India and Sri Lanka, 18 other teams will take part in the T20 World Cup. These include Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, USA, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman, and UAE. As defending champions after defeating South Africa in the final of the 2024 edition in Barbados, India will be under pressure to deliver a strong performance.