Pressure is privilege as India meet Pakistan in T20WC
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 will witness the latest chapter in the fabled rivalry.
One of the most intense rivalries in world cricket is set to reignite on Sunday as India take on Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. While both teams are unbeaten in the tournament so far, India lead Group A standings due to a superior net run-rate.
In the run up to the marquee match, India captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted that it was a contest like no other.
“If you play any game, there is always pressure. And when you play an India-Pakistan game it's more about the occasion,” Suryakumar said in the pre-match press conference in Colombo on Saturday.
“It's a big platform obviously. No matter how much you say that it's just another game, back of the mind, human tendency is that you know which game you are going to play.
“And we don't play them often as well. At the end of the day, we try to keep things simple. Whatever hard work we have done, whatever practice we have been doing, we try to execute it in the games.”
The Indian team will be buoyed by the news of Abhishek Sharma’s potential return. The star opener had to be hospitalised ahead of India’s previous match against Namibia due to a stomach infection but seems to have recovered for the clash against Pakistan.
“I hope Abhishek Sharma plays tomorrow,” said Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha. “I hope he's recovering well. We want to play against the best.” When asked about Sharma’s participation, Yadav was ready with the quip: “Okay, if he (Agha) wants him (Abhishek) to play then we will play him tomorrow.”
With the pitch in Colombo lending some help to the spinners, a lot of pre-match chatter has been focussed on Pakistan’s Usman Tariq. Famous for his unique, sling-arm action, the Pakistani off-break bowler has divided opinion across the world.
“He is definitely a trump card for us,” said Agha. “But there is also talk about him that he is taking advantage of the grey area. Because of this, there is a lot of talk. Before such an important match, there is a lot of talk about mind games.”
Suryakumar, though, believes his team will have to play the cards they are dealt with.
“Sometimes there is a question in the exam as well, out of syllabus,” the India captain said. “We can't leave that question. To tackle that, you have to try something. You have to adapt in your own way.
“Yes, he is a different character when he comes to bowl. But at the same time, we can't just surrender. We practice with a similar type of bowler, with similar actions.”
While both the teams are two from two at the moment, they have had their own set of struggles. India made a slow start against USA in their tournament opener, before a dominant show against Namibia. Meanwhile, Pakistan laboured to a win over Netherlands in their first match before a more confident win over the USA.
India go into the match with a historical edge: they have won seven of the eight matches against Pakistan in the men’s T20 World Cup. Pakistan’s only win came in the 2021 edition, when their opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan carried them to a 10-wicket win in Dubai. But both captains agreed that they start from scratch on Sunday.
"We don't have a good record in the World Cups,” Agha said, “but whenever you play a new match, you have to play good cricket to win.”
His Indian counterpart has warned of complacency, even though India has dominated the contest in recent times. At last year's Asia Cup, India defeated Pakistan four times, including the final.
“You can't carry what you have done or what has happened in the past on the ground. Because sometimes it creates a little complacency. You go a little ahead of the game,” Yadav said. “If you want to be in control and have a relaxed mind, then it is important to always start fresh.”
With a top spot in the group at stake, India-Pakistan are ready for yet another exciting chapter.
