T20 World Cup 2026 co-hosts Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to rethink its decision to boycott the high-profile India-Pakistan match, which is scheduled to take place in Colombo on February 15. SLC warned that the move could lead to heavy losses for everyone involved in the tournament.
Why Pakistan boycotting T20 World Cup clash vs India
Pakistan’s government had earlier announced the boycott of the marquee clash in support of Bangladesh, who pulled out of the World Cup citing security concerns in India. This was despite the ICC stating that there was no major security threat.
SLC writes a letter to PCB
The situation has now taken a fresh turn, with SLC writing a formal letter to the PCB. According to sources, SLC’s executive committee met on Tuesday and decided to approach the Pakistan board. The letter was sent on Thursday.
In the letter, SLC highlighted the serious impact the boycott could have on Sri Lanka’s tourism and economy. It warned of possible cancellations of hotel bookings, flight reservations, and problems for local suppliers involved in hosting the match. SLC also made it clear that it is fully prepared to host the sell-out game at the R Premadasa Stadium.
Sri Lanka's financial losses if Pakistan boycott T20 World Cup clash vs India
As reported by Newswire, SLC cautioned that skipping a marquee match like India vs Pakistan could lead to major financial losses, reduced tourist inflow, and wider economic damage. The board also said it was aware that the impact would go beyond cricket, affecting many stakeholders working to make the tournament successful.
In its communication, SLC reminded PCB of Sri Lanka’s support for Pakistan cricket during difficult times. It referred to the period after the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, when many teams stopped touring Pakistan. Despite the risks, Sri Lanka continued to tour Pakistan and helped bring international cricket back to the country.
SLC said it expects the same spirit of cooperation now and assured PCB that Sri Lanka will provide complete security, neutrality, and professionalism for all matches played there.
Suryakumar Yadav on India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup clash
Meanwhile, India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed in a media interaction that the Indian team will travel to Colombo for the match against Pakistan. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, however, said his team would follow whatever decision is taken by their government.
Reports suggest that if the India-Pakistan match does not take place, the ICC event could suffer losses of up to USD 250 million.