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The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is teetering on the edge of a historic standoff, as the Pakistan government has officially approved the team’s participation in the tournament but explicitly barred them from playing against India on February 15.
This ‘selective boycott’ in Colombo, a move of solidarity following Bangladesh’s removal from the event, has placed the PCB on a collision course with the ICC just days before the February 7 kickoff. While the Salman Ali Agha-led squad has already landed in Sri Lanka to begin their campaign against the Netherlands, the shadow of a potential forfeit in the tournament’s most anticipated fixture looms large over the opening week.
Ashwin reveals why Pakistan will not miss the India game in T20 World Cup 2026 despite boycott
Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin remains unmoved by the political posturing, predicting with absolute certainty on his YouTube channel, Ash ki Baat, that the match will go ahead. Ashwin highlighted that this decision could lead to a catastrophic financial loss for the PCB.
He noted that the board would likely be forced to reimburse broadcasters for the monumental revenue lost from this single fixture, which is valued at roughly ₹2,300 crore ($250 million). Ashwin argued that because the tournament is governed by commercial contracts, other ICC member nations would also suffer financially, leading them to pressure Pakistan to overturn the decision during upcoming board meetings.
“100 percent, the match between India and Pakistan will happen. I feel that it will happen. The next 3-4 days will see these decisions being overturned. And that’s my hunch and I hope I want to see the India-Pakistan encounter. Because there are a lot of business decisions in this. Pakistan has another problem. There may also be financial loss as you will have to reimburse the broadcasters whatever loss they have incurred. So I think they will have to come for a compromise. The financial thing involved in this will mean that other ICC member countries too will face a loss. In the ICC meeting, all these members will say because of Pakistan, we are getting these losses. PSL is also going to happen. Even in PSL, players can say that we will not come,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat.
Also READ: Boycott row: Will Pakistan face ICC’s punishment for opting out of India fixture?
Ashwin on the difference from historical boycotts during ICC tournaments
Ashwin also addressed why he believes the current situation differs from the boycotts seen in the 1996 and 2003 World Cups. He pointed out that while teams like Australia, England and the West Indies previously forfeited matches due to security and travel risks at specific host locations, the upcoming India-Pakistan game is already scheduled for a neutral site. Ashwin argued that refusing to play a specific opponent at a neutral venue is not acceptable in the modern cricketing landscape.
“We will talk of the 1996 World Cup and also of the 2003 World Cup. Teams refused to travel to Sri Lanka. They fortified the matches. In the 2003 World Cup also, teams forfeited matches due to security and travel. But those are venue based problems. Right now. Pakistan and India will be playing in a neutral venue. There is no problem with the venue also. So after all of this. To say I will not play a particular opponent is just not acceptable in many ways. I hope better sense prevails and these matches do take place,” Ashwin concluded.
Also READ: Pakistan’s boycott of India match in T20 WC 2026: List of teams that forfeited ICC event matches
