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India and Sri Lanka will be the joint-hosts of the 2026 T20 World Cup which will commence in February. However, unlike previous International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments, this time India and Pakistan are unlikely to be grouped together. The global body will take the final decision on this matter during their annual meeting which will take place in Singapore from July 17 to 20.
India and Pakistan won't be in the same group in 2026 T20 WC
India and Pakistan previously contested in a bilateral series back in 2012 and since then, meetings between the two teams have been confined only to ICC tournaments. However, according to a report by PTI, it is likely that both teams won't be grouped together in next year's T20 World Cup which reduces the chances of them meeting each other. This comes after there was an increase in the border tensions between the two countries.
"The issue is bound to come up for discussion at the annual conference. While prospect of India and Pakistan not playing in ICC knockouts is unlikely, not drawing them in the same group, which has been the norm at ICC events, is a possibility," a BCCI source told PTI.
Jay Shah, who was named the ICC Chairman in December last year, will be attending the meeting for the first time since taking up the role.
India is also set to host the 2025 Women's T20 World Cup and it remains to be seen whether the hosts will be locking horns against arch-rivals Pakistan or not. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to listen to the Indian government's view on the matter which is unlikely to change in the aftermatch of the Pahalgam terrorist attack that ended up killing 26 tourists in April.
India and Pakistan's previous meeting in the Men's T20 World Cup came in the 2024 edition where the sides faced-off at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Eventually, it was the Men in Blue who went on to defend the modest target of 120 and won by a narrow 6-run margin.
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