In response to Pakistan’s controversial announcement that it will boycott its ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 group match against India, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice-President and Congress MP Rajeev Shukla has stressed that the Indian board will defer to the International Cricket Council (ICC) on how to handle the situation.
Speaking to the media, Shukla made it clear that the BCCI does not intend to take its own position on Pakistan’s decision to skip the February 15 fixture in Colombo. “BCCI has nothing to say on this,” he said, adding that the ICC must decide what action, if any, to take regarding Pakistan’s planned boycott and that India’s board would abide by that ruling.
The remarks come amid growing tensions over Pakistan’s stance, which was reaffirmed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier this week. Sharif confirmed that while Pakistan will participate in the tournament, it will not take the field against India in the scheduled group match, a move widely seen as politically motivated and sparked by earlier disputes surrounding Bangladesh’s exit from the competition.
Pakistan’s announcement has put the ICC in a difficult position, with the governing body under pressure to uphold the integrity of its global event and possibly impose sanctions on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) if the boycott goes ahead. In recent days, cricket officials have hinted at potential consequences for selective participation, emphasising that all teams are expected to compete on equal terms.
Shukla’s stance highlights the BCCI’s decision to remain neutral publicly while awaiting the ICC’s formal direction on how to proceed, a move that reflects the sport’s complex intersection with politics and governance ahead of one of cricket’s most high-profile tournaments.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Reaffirms Boycott Stance, Confirms PAK Team Will Not Play Against India At ICC T20 World Cup 2026
In a significant development just days before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 gets underway, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated that his country will not play its scheduled group-stage match against India, maintaining a firm boycott stance that has stirred controversy within the global cricket community.
Speaking to his federal cabinet in Islamabad, Sharif confirmed that Pakistan’s senior men’s cricket team, while participating in the tournament overall, will not take the field against India in their Group A fixture set for February 15 in Colombo. The prime minister described the position as a “clear stand,” underscoring that the decision was made after careful consideration and was aimed at upholding what he described as ‘principles’, even though he paradoxically insisted that “politics should have no place in sports.”
Sharif also framed the boycott as an act of solidarity with Bangladesh, which was earlier removed from the tournament schedule and replaced by Scotland after the Bangladesh Cricket Board refused to play matches in India citing security concerns. Pakistan, he said, felt compelled to take a stand after perceiving what it sees as inconsistency in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) handling of the issue.
The T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, features 20 teams in a tightly contested competition. India and Pakistan, two of the sport’s biggest rivals, were slated to renew their historic rivalry in one of the tournament’s most anticipated fixtures. The boycott, however, now puts that clash in jeopardy and marks a rare instance where geopolitical tensions have overtly intersected with the sport at a global ICC event.
