T20 World Cup 2026: India-Pakistan showdown set for February 15 in Colombo

India and Pakistan are set to face each other in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on February 15 in Colombo, according to the tournament schedule that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to announce in Mumbai on Tuesday. This highly anticipated clash will be the first meeting between the arch-rivals since India defeated Pakistan in all three of their heated encounters during this year’s Asia Cup, a tournament marked by both on-field intensity and off-field drama. The match will be held at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium and will be India’s third fixture of the group stage. Reports indicate that India and Pakistan share their group with the USA, Namibia, and the Netherlands.

India will kick off their campaign on February 7 against the USA in Mumbai, which is also the opening day of the tournament. The team will then move to Delhi for their second match against Namibia on February 12. Their last group-stage match will be against the Netherlands at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. During the group phase, three matches will be played each day.

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The 2026 T20 World Cup will run from February 7 to March 8 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan’s matches have been scheduled entirely in Colombo or Kandy. The tournament format remains unchanged, featuring 20 teams divided into four groups of five. The top two teams from each group will progress to the Super Eight stage, which will again split teams into groups of four. The top two from each of these groups will advance to the semifinals.

If India qualifies for the Super Eight phase, their matches will be hosted in Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Kolkata. Should they reach the semifinals, India’s knockout match will take place in Mumbai. The second semifinal will be held either in Colombo or Kolkata, depending on whether Pakistan or Sri Lanka advance. The final is scheduled for Ahmedabad, though it may shift to Colombo if Pakistan reaches the title match.

The tournament will feature 20 teams: India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, USA, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman, and the UAE.