Pakistan might have decided to boycott T20 World Cup 2026 match against India but it will come with multiple implications. Pakistan government announced the decision following a high-level meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, that the Men in Green won't take the field in the T20 World Cup clash against India on February 15.
The announcement came earlier than expected, catching many by surprise. During a meeting earlier in the week, Prime Minister Sharif had indicated that the final verdict on Pakistan's participation would be delivered on either January 30 or February 2. Instead, the government moved up the timeline to Sunday, delivering the "bombshell" decision to skip the marquee fixture against the Men in Blue while still competing in the rest of the tournament.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026; however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,” Pakistan government's statement on X read.
What will happen after Pakistan boycott T20 World Cup matches vs India?
As a direct consequence of Pakistan's decision to boycott the high-profile match against India, the Indian team is expected to be awarded the full win points for the fixture. Since the BCCI did not initiate this withdrawal and the decision rests solely with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the match will likely be treated as a forfeit. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is currently awaiting a formal, written notification from the PCB before any official points are redistributed or disciplinary sanctions are considered.
What does the ICC rules suggest?
Rules on forfeiture from the '24 T20 World Cup Playing Conditions stipulate the game simply counts as a loss for forfeiting team, for NRR purposes their opponent effectively chases a total of 0 in 0 balls - so a heavy penalty. However, the playing conditions for the T20 World Cup 2026 are not yet public.