T20 World Cup 2026: BCCI responds after official confirmation on Pakistan boycott, says…

Pakistan will skip its February 15 ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match against India in Colombo, citing government orders, while BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board is awaiting official word before reacting.

Written by: Sruti Thakur Edited by: Sruti Thakur

Published: February 2, 2026, 12:45 PM IST

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Devajit Saikia responds after official confirmation on Pakistan boycott

New Delhi: Pakistan Cricket has decided not to take the field on February 15, in the T20 World Cup 2026 clash against India. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board will issue a statement once it receives official confirmation

BCCI secretary stated that the board is yet to receive an official confirmation regarding Pakistan’s boycott decision, “I can’t make any comment till the moment I receive the official intimation. It will not be right for me to pass any comment on this issue,” Saikia told CNN News18 on Monday.

“The outcome of a match can be anything, but the thing is that once we get the information, then we will give our official statement on this development,” he added.

PCB announced it will boycott the match against Pakistan

While confirming its participation in the T20 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced it will boycott the match on February 15 against India in Colombo due to government orders.

The decision was announced through a social media post, which permitted Pakistan to take part in the tournament which is scheduled to start on February 7, but won’t take the field against arch-rivals India.

“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,” official handle of Pakistan Government on X

ICC has already warned Pakistan about the repercussion

The ICC has already warned Pakistan about the repercussion they would face if they boycott the clash.

“The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, of which it is itself a member and beneficiary,” ICC said in a statement.

“While the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan,” it added.