India has raised objections to being placed in the same group as Pakistan in the 2026 T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in February 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. The Indian cricket team does not want to face Pakistan in the group stage of ICC events. A final decision on this matter will be made at the ICC’s Annual Conference, which will take place from July 17–20 in Singapore.
The deteriorating diplomatic ties between the neighboring countries have limited cricketing ties between India and Pakistan to only ICC and ACC events. As a result, it is now unlikely that the two teams will be seen playing against each other even in multinational tournaments like the upcoming T20 World Cup.
A source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told the news agency, “This matter will be discussed at the Annual Conference. It is unlikely that India and Pakistan will avoid playing each other in ICC knockout matches. However, there is a strong possibility that the two teams will not be placed in the same group.”
ICC Chairman Jay Shah, who previously served as the BCCI Secretary, will attend the ICC Annual Conference for the first time since taking over as head of the global cricket body in December last year.
Due to political tensions, the relationship between the BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been strained in recent years. Earlier this year, Pakistan faced a similar situation when hosting rights for the ICC Champions Trophy were discussed. All of India’s matches were held in Dubai, while both tournament finals were staged outside Pakistan. India ended up winning both tournaments.
Although the 2026 T20 World Cup is still far away, India is set to host the 2025 Women’s World Cup starting September 29 this year. Whether the two countries will face each other in that tournament also remains undecided.
