When is the India vs Pakistan match in the 2026 T20 World Cup?

Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are set to face each other once again in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The highly anticipated clash between the two teams will take place on Sunday, February 15.

The 2026 T20 World Cup will be held in India and Sri Lanka. It is scheduled to begin on February 7, with the final to be played on March 8. Notably, India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group for the marquee tournament. The other teams in their group are the USA, the Netherlands, and Namibia.

The Men in Blue and the Men in Green will face off at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. It will be the third group stage match for Suryakumar Yadav and his troops, who are also the defending champions of the T20 World Cup. ICC Chairman Jay Shah also announced former captain Rohit Sharma, who led India to victory at the 2024 T20 World Cup, as the tournament ambassador for the 2026 edition.

Apart from the two host nations, 18 other countries are set to participate in the 2026 T20 World Cup. These are - Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States of America, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman and UAE. The teams are divided into four groups of five each.

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What happened the last time India and Pakistan faced off in the T20 World Cup?

In the previous edition of the T20 World Cup in 2024, the arch-rivals faced off once during their group stage clash in New York. Batting first, the Men in Blue had a difficult outing as they were bundled out for just 119. Rishabh Pant top-scored with a 31-ball 42.

However, the bowlers were up for the challenge. Rohit Sharma and Co. successfully defended the low total as they restricted Pakistan to 113/7 in 20 overs and won by six runs. Jasprit Bumrah led the charge with figures of 3/14 from four overs. Hardik Pandya played an equally important role, returning figures of 2/24 in four overs.

The Men in Blue have dominated against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup with a terrific record across all editions so far. In eight matches played between the two teams in the tournament over the years, India have won seven times, with Pakistan's only victory coming in the 2021 edition.