INDIA and Pakistan will meet in a politically charged Twenty20 World Cup clash in Colombo on Sunday (15), after a turbulent fortnight in which Pakistan’s threat to boycott the match nearly derailed the tournament’s marquee fixture.
Bilateral cricket between the two neighbours remains suspended because of strained political ties, ensuring emotions run high whenever they meet in multi-team events at neutral venues.
Tensions around the World Cup deepened after Bangladesh were removed from the 20-team tournament for refusing to tour India over security concerns and were replaced by Scotland. Pakistan, angered by the decision, announced it would boycott its Group A match against India in solidarity with Bangladesh.
The move put one of cricket’s most lucrative fixtures at risk, triggering alarm among broadcasters facing the prospect of millions of dollars in lost advertising revenue. The International Cricket Council held urgent behind-the-scenes talks and eventually brokered a compromise to ensure the match went ahead.
Pakistan later abandoned the boycott, setting the stage for Sunday’s showdown.
On the field, the rivalry has been largely one-sided. Defending champions India hold a 7–1 record over Pakistan in T20 World Cup history and reinforced that dominance at last year’s Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates, where they beat Pakistan three times, including in a stormy final in Dubai marked by provocative gestures and the absence of pre- and post-match handshakes.
Former India captain Rohit Sharma has dismissed talk of favourites despite his side’s strong record.
“It’s such a funny game,” he said recently. “You can’t just go and think it’s a two-point victory. You have to play good cricket on that particular day.”
Both teams have opened their campaigns with two wins, but India appear to hold the edge. Opener Abhishek Sharma and spinner Varun Chakravarthy currently top the tournament’s batting and bowling charts, although Abhishek remains doubtful after a stomach infection ruled him out of the first two matches.
Ishan Kishan has emerged as a key top-order batter, skipper Suryakumar Yadav has rediscovered form, and Rinku Singh has settled into the finisher’s role. Jasprit Bumrah leads the pace attack, Chakravarthy anchors the spin unit, and Hardik Pandya’s all-round contribution remains crucial.
For Pakistan, opener Sahibzada Farhan has impressed, while Babar Azam’s strike rate continues to divide opinion. Captain Salman Ali Agha is expected to lean on spin-bowling all-rounder Saim Ayub, with off-spinner Usman Tariq emerging as a potential wildcard thanks to his slinging side-arm action.
Agha said he hoped the match would be played in the right spirit but was unsure whether the customary pre-match handshakes would take place.
“We’ll find out tomorrow,” he told reporters in Colombo on Saturday (14). “This is a game of high magnitude. Tomorrow’s game is no different.”
He said captains carried added pressure in such fixtures.
“When you’re representing your country and captaining a side, there will be pressure. You just need to find a way to deal with that.”
With rain forecast on Sunday, Agha said Pakistan were prepared for all scenarios, including a shortened match.
(Reuters)
