If you’ve been following the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, then you know that for this year, instead of one host country, both India and Sri Lanka are hosting the matches.
This decision comes after months of heated debate between the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The thing is that the 2026 T20 World Cup is a prestigious event, and not having a cricket nation like Pakistan, or simply the legendary rivalry between India and Pakistan, is almost unthinkable.
So, to save the event while keeping the peace between two neighbors who rarely agree on anything outside the cricket field, is what the ICC pushed for in the last few months.
The Standoff: Why This Was a Problem
The trouble started when the ICC picked India and Sri Lanka to co-host this tournament. Initially, Bangladesh was also a host, but it was replaced by Scotland after refusing to play in India due to security concerns.
This created a domino effect. Pakistan announced a selective boycott, saying they would play their other games but would refuse to face India. In a way, this was also a way for them to show support for Bangladesh and to protest the way the hosting duties were handled.
The ICC’s Official Stance and Peace Negotiations
The ICC did not take the boycott threat lightly. They have a strict rule about “No Selective Participation.” Basically, they told the PCB that a team cannot just pick and choose which matches they want to play.
If a team signs up for a World Cup, they have to play every game on the schedule or face serious punishments, including being banned from future events.
So, to fix the situation, ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja traveled to Lahore to meet with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. These meetings were pretty tense since the PCB wanted to show that they shouldn’t be pushed around, while the ICC needed to ensure the tournament stayed on track.
Eventually, they reached a deal. The ICC confirmed that Pakistan will play all its scheduled games. In return, the ICC promised that Bangladesh would not be penalized for its withdrawal and would likely get to host a major junior tournament soon.
What Will Actually Happen: The Logistics
So, what does this look like for the fans? Pakistan is not going to set foot in India during this World Cup. All of their group matches and potential knockout games will stay in Sri Lanka. They will play in cities like Colombo and Kandy.
The biggest moment of the tournament so far was the clash between these two rivals. India and Pakistan faced off at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 15.
Even though the game was on neutral soil, the intensity was at an all-time high. India won the match by 61 runs, thanks to a standout performance by Ishan Kishan.
Despite that loss, Pakistan played well enough in their other games to qualify for the Super Eight stage, and they will still be playing their matches in Sri Lanka.
Real Opinions: Expert and Insider Views
People in the cricket world have very different views on this setup. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi defended the decision by saying that Pakistan’s stance was about respect for the sport and for their fellow cricketers in Bangladesh. He argued that they were standing up for what’s right, even if it meant a difficult negotiation.
On the other hand, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla called the final plan a win-win for everyone. He pointed out that the priority was always to make sure the fans got to see the best teams play because India and Pakistan have the biggest rivalry in cricket. It brings in millions of dollars in ticket sales, revenues on platforms like play10cric.com/cricket, and TV ads.
However, not everyone is happy. Former Pakistan player Danish Kaneria was quite vocal on social media about the whole thing and called the PCB “U-turn specialists.” Basically, he’s suggested that the threat to boycott was never real and was just a way to get more money from the ICC. Interestingly, many fans agreed with him and felt that the drama was mostly for show.
Cricket Wins (For Now)
Despite all the politics and the arguments, the main result is that the games will go on. Pakistan is heading to the World Cup, the sponsors are happy, and the players can focus on cricket instead of board meetings.
With everything that happened, we can say that the tournament will be remembered for the stress it caused behind the scenes. It shows that while cricket is just a game, the rivalry between these two nations is still a powerful force that can change how a World Cup is run.
