Mumbai, Feb 5 (NationPress) Captain Suryakumar Yadav has addressed the situation regarding Pakistan's decision to boycott the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match against India. He affirmed that his team is set to depart for Colombo on February 15 for the match at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Pakistan has opted out of their planned match against India, following their government’s approval for the team's participation in the World Cup, conditional upon not facing India.

Both India and Pakistan are part of Group A, which also includes Namibia, Netherlands, and the USA. All matches for Pakistan will take place in Sri Lanka, which is sharing hosting duties with India for the tournament.

India will commence their campaign against the USA on February 7, the opening day of the tournament, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, while Pakistan will begin their journey against the Netherlands on the same day.

“We haven’t declined to play against Pakistan; rather, they have chosen not to play. The mindset is quite evident. We have not expressed any refusal to participate in the match; the decision came from the other side. The ICC has released the official schedule, and the BCCI along with the government has arranged for a neutral venue with the ICC,” said Suryakumar during the T20 World Cup 2026 Captains' Day Press Conference.

Pakistan's choice to abstain from playing India follows the ICC's decision to substitute Bangladesh with Scotland for the T20 World Cup after Bangladesh expressed their unwillingness to play their matches in India due to security issues.

On Wednesday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif reiterated that the senior men's cricket team will not compete against India in the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup. He stated, “We have taken a very definitive stance on the T20 World Cup that we will not play against India because sports should remain free of politics. We support Bangladesh completely, and I believe this is a suitable decision.”

Previously, the International Cricket Council (ICC) voiced serious concerns regarding the Pakistan government's directive to boycott the match against India, emphasizing, “This selective participation is hard to align with the core principle of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are anticipated to compete equally according to the event schedule.”

“While the ICC acknowledges the roles of governments in national policy matters, this decision does not serve the global game's interests or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan. The ICC hopes the PCB will reflect on the significant and long-term repercussions for cricket in their country, as this could influence the global cricket ecosystem, of which they are a member and beneficiary,” it added.