New Delhi, Feb 10 (NationPress) Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed gratitude towards Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for affirming that the match between India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2026 will take place.

The Pakistani government reversed its previous position, now permitting the men's cricket team to participate in the scheduled match against India on February 15.

“Thank you Prime Minister @CMShehbaz for ensuring the game we all cherish continues. I am thrilled that the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan match at the current T20 Cricket World Cup in Colombo will proceed as scheduled,” he shared on social media platform X.

“As a co-host of the tournament, Sri Lanka appreciates the ICC and all parties involved for their efforts. We remember the unity displayed by both India and Pakistan during the 1996 World Cup, when they played in Colombo while others hesitated due to security fears,” he added.

Initially, the Pakistani government had advised its team not to participate in the match against their long-standing rivals to show support for Bangladesh, which was eliminated from the ICC T20 World Cup and replaced by Scotland after its request to move matches from India to Sri Lanka was denied by the ICC.

However, with the ICC taking a firm stance against Pakistan's threat to boycott the India match, coupled with requests from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has given the go-ahead for the Pakistani men's team to compete.

The Pakistani government stated it has allowed its players to take the field on February 15 due to pleas from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

“Recognizing the outcomes of multilateral discussions and the requests from friendly nations, the Government of Pakistan directs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to participate in the scheduled fixture in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup on February 15, 2026,” read a statement from the Pakistani Government.

This standoff between the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board originated on February 1 when Prime Minister Sharif cleared the team to compete in the World Cup but barred them from the match in Colombo against India.

The Pakistan boycott followed a standoff between the ICC and Bangladesh that began last month, with the ICC rejecting Bangladesh's requests to relocate their matches from India to co-host Sri Lanka over security concerns, resulting in Scotland taking their place.

The Pakistani team is presently in Sri Lanka and is set to play its second Group A game against the United States on Tuesday.