After both teams were placed in the same group for the 2026 T20 World Cup, India captain Suryakumar Yadav made a playful comment about Pakistan during the Asia Cup. On February 15, India will play Pakistan in their Group A match in Colombo. In the Asia Cup, which was dominated by tension between the two teams, the bitter rivals recently faced off three times, with India emerging victorious each time.
Among the controversies were Suryakumar’s refusal to accept the winner’s trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) president Mohsin Naqvi and Indian players’ reluctance to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts. Fans are already excited about the rescheduled matchup and can’t wait to watch how the rivalry plays out on the global scene.
“We had a great experience playing them in the Asia Cup lately. As you must have observed, cricket was the only thing on everyone’s mind. The game will undoubtedly be enjoyable.
When the schedule was revealed, Suryakumar remarked, “The boys are always excited to play Pakistan.”
Naqvi departed the location with the Asia Cup trophy, but even two months after the competition concluded, India had not yet received it. The PCB and the BCCI have discussed the issue, but no agreement has been reached.
When asked which team he would most like to play against in a fictitious T20 World Cup final next year, the Indian T20I skipper immediately said, “Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Australia.” Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women’s team, echoed him. Her team won the recent Women’s World Cup after defeating Australia in the semifinals.
“Australia is the only team whom we want to beat because that’s the game which stays with you,” Harmanpreet stated.
Groupings for the 2026 T20 World Cup: India, USA, Namibia, Netherlands, and Pakistan
Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Oman
Group C: Bangladesh, Italy, Nepal, England, and the West Indies
Group D: Afghanistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates
India
