Sourav Ganguly expressed surprise at Pakistan's decision to boycott its T20 World Cup 2026 match against India. The former BCCI President questioned the move, while India captain Suryakumar Yadav stated that his team is ready to play the fixture.
Ganguly Astonished by Pakistan's Decision
Former India captain and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has expressed his astonishment on Pakistan's decision to not play against India in their much-awaited 15th February fixture in Colombo.
While speaking to reporters on Sunday, former Indian Captain, Sourav Ganguly shared his views on Pakistan's decision to boycott its match against India in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. He said, "Backing out of a World Cup for what. They are playing in Sri Lanka, in any case. I am surprised of Pakistan backing out. In a World Cup, every point is important."
Pakistan had earlier announced a boycott of its fixture against India in support of Bangladesh's decision not to travel to India for the tournament.
India Ready to Play, Says Captain Suryakumar Yadav
Before the start of the tournament, India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav had made it clear that the Indian team was fully prepared to go ahead with their much-anticipated World Cup clash against arch-rivals Pakistan, which is scheduled for February 15 in Colombo.
Speaking during the Captains' Media Briefing in Colombo on Thursday, Suryakumar stressed that India's stance remains unchanged ahead of the Group A fixture against Pakistan scheduled for February 15 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. "Our mindset is clear -- we will play. Our flight is booked, and we are going. Rest, they can see for themselves. Their decision is not in my control," Suryakumar said, according to ICC. "We played Asia Cup (2025), we played them (Pakistan) at a neutral venue. We are ready and going to Colombo. We have been told we have a game on 15th Feb."
ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Details
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to run from February 7 to March 8, with India opening their campaign against the USA on February 7 before facing their second group match on February 12. The defending champions, Team India, are slotted in Group A alongside Namibia, the Netherlands, the USA, and arch-rivals Pakistan.
T20 World Cup 2026 Squads
India Squad
India squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.
Pakistan Squad
Pakistan squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)