The India vs Pakistan game at the T20 World Cup 2026 has already seen more drama off the field than on it. This was the case during the Asia Cup 2025 as well. But then, India wasn’t at loggerheads with Bangladesh. However, in whatever has transpired in the last few weeks, it seems Pakistan and Bangladesh formed an alliance against India. Now, a fresh twist has emerged. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) resident Aminul Islam has indicated that the February 15 clash in Colombo could be an “icebreaker” between Asian cricket boards after weeks of tension.
Bangladesh were central to the entire episode. The BCB had initially refused to travel to India for their matches, citing security concerns. That concerns came just before the main tournament. We all know it came as a retaliation to Mustafizur Rahman’s release from the IPL 2026.
However, when the ICC rejected their request to relocate fixtures, Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland following a board vote. Pakistan then threatened to boycott the India match in solidarity with Bangladesh only to make a U-turn. Eventually, after meetings between the International Cricket Council, the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Pakistan agreed to play India as per schedule. The Government of Pakistan formally directed the team to take the field on February 15 after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was briefed.
PCB sought Bangladesh’s help to exit boycott threat
According to reports, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi invited Aminul Islam to make a formal appeal urging Pakistan to play the India game. It as a way for Pakistan to step back from its boycott stance “respectably” after ICC warnings about sanctions and financial penalties.
Aminul has now said that representatives from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are expected to be present together at the IND vs PAK match. As per Cricuzz, he thinks that the meeting could help ease tensions. Bangladesh have also secured an assurance from the ICC that no sanctions will be imposed on them, and they are set to host an ICC event between 2028 and 2031.
“The ICC has taken a decision. The major stakeholders of the ICC are these five Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan), and for the India-Pakistan match on the 15th in the World Cup, they want representatives of all five Asian countries to be present at the ground together, watch the match together and talk to one another. You can consider it as something like that (an ice breaker between us),” Aminul was quoted in the leading Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo on Wednesday.
