ICC T20 World Cup 2026: India vs Pakistan | Match 27 | Group A | Colombo | February 15 | Pre-Match Discussion

[DRsohail]

Abhishek looks weak and thin. Bit like how GIll was during 2023 after covid. Half fit ABhishek shouldn't be playing. He shuld fully recover. Idiots should have included another spare opener like Jaiswal.

Him not playing would not affect india much. This Pakistan team should be easy to beat after what pcb and sharif did few days ago.

 

[rballer]

Eh , Tu Administrator
Btw , even Akram recently said Tariq chucks . Yesterdays game , he was ensuring his bowling arm was around shoulder height [ unlike the Green delivery ] but cannot see him continuing long with this .

I am not going to lie boys, but Tariq does throw some suspicious deliveries. He throws 4-5 good ones but then there is 1 every over that is really suspicious. Will let ICC decide it

 

[TheSultan]

I would switch up the XI a little.

1. Saim Ayub
2. Sahibzada Farhan
3. Agha Ali Salman (C)
4. Babar Azam
5. Fakhar Zaman
6. Shadab Khan
7. Faheem Ashraf
8. Usman Khan (WK)
9. Salman Mirza
10. Abrar Ahmed
11. Usman Tariq

I can’t get the right balance. I would to bring in Naseem, but it would mean Faheem has to drop out & his late order batting is key.

Nawaz has to be dropped as he is a hindrance with the bat & with the ball can be expensive. Fakhar Zaman coming in made sense with his experience considering the complete opposite for Khawaja Nafay, however Fakhar isn’t a No.5 but you need his experience.

After he scored runs against USA, dropping Babar will be impossible unfortunately.

Squad is too conservative. What is actually gonna change in the batting? Very little. The right squad if the team management has the guts to do it:

1. Saim Ayub
2. Sahibzada Farhan
3. Agha Ali Salman (C)
4. Khawaja Nafay (WK)
5. Fakhar Zaman
6. Shadab Khan
7. Faheem Ashraf
8. Naseem Shah
9. Salman Mirza
10. Abrar Ahmed
11. Usman Tariq

No team needs 5 spinners. If 4 can’t do it, then you don’t have good enough spinners - simple.

Babar is not gonna get a Harmeet again. Before that over he looked like dog . He couldn’t even put away a free hit or half trackers.The Indian bowlers spinners will be tight, disciplined and won’t give freebies. Babar will be a sitting duck (if they choose to actually get him out).

Nafay is the cleanest striker of the ball in the squad. It’s madness he hasn’t played a game.

Shaheen is done - if he plays, I fear he will go for 30 or even a maximum. He’s just the type of juicy bowler any batsman in the World Cup (including the minnows) will be licking their lips for.

 

[big_gamer007]

To be honest Usman Tariq’s action is very distracting for the viewers let alone batsmen.

The unnecessary pause does not allow the batsman to get into any sort of rhythm while facing him.

Probably such a bizarre action should not be allowed in cricket

I don’t know the exact rules of ICC, however, if his action is legal under the rules then there shouldn’t be an issue.

 

[hur rizvi]

Weather?

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

I think a lot of my fellow Indian fans are being too over confidence, maybe the recent spate of victories justifies this.
But practically, they will land in Colombo on Friday after the Namibia game - would they be acclimatized to sudden hotter : humid conditions?
Match is in Premadesa stadium, a place known for low & slow bounce,ball will grip & will not come on easily.
Not like a lot of indian pitches where one can plonk front foot & hit thru the line.
The boundaries are probably biggest in SL , defo big square of the wicket.
Our guys are natural strolemakers, not very adept at rotating of strike or running quick twos, threes something virat was a master at, but he's not here. Our guys like to feel bat on ball& if this is not forthcoming, try for glory shots

Pluse we've never played against guys like UT & his novelty factor could be a massive roadblock.

All I am saying is if I sitting here & typing this can think of this surely indian team mgmt would have, but it will be a difficult game, i would want our guys to think of ground shots & running sharp singles & rattling the fielders more.

Lastly, i could never fathom how Pak players are so inept at playing Kuldeep, am sure his stats vs pak would be much much better than vs all other teams....same with hardik & the short ball .

 

[deltexas]

I think a lot of my fellow Indian fans are being too over confidence, maybe the recent spate of victories justifies this.
But practically, they will land in Colombo on Friday after the Namibia game - would they be acclimatized to sudden hotter : humid conditions?
Match is in Premadesa stadium, a place known for low & slow bounce,ball will grip & will not come on easily.
Not like a lot of indian pitches where one can plonk front foot & hit thru the line.
The boundaries are probably biggest in SL , defo big square of the wicket.
Our guys are natural strolemakers, not very adept at rotating of strike or running quick twos, threes something virat was a master at, but he's not here. Our guys like to feel bat on ball& if this is not forthcoming, try for glory shots

Pluse we've never played against guys like UT & his novelty factor could be a massive roadblock.

All I am saying is if I sitting here & typing this can think of this surely indian team mgmt would have, but it will be a difficult game, i would want our guys to think of ground shots & running sharp singles & rattling the fielders more.

Lastly, i could never fathom how Pak players are so inept at playing Kuldeep, am sure his stats vs pak would be much much better than vs all other teams....same with hardik & the short ball .

No need to stress out too much !
Ind is a strong team, will adapt and are absolutely the faves here. The better team wins and Ind is definitely the better team even if they have an off day. Ind would need a shocker a stinker of a game really to lose. Even without abhishek and bumrah. Will be a huge upset if Pak wins.

 

[Sachin fan]

No need to stress out too much !
Ind is a strong team, will adapt and are absolutely the faves here. The better team wins and Ind is definitely the better team even if they have an off day. Ind would need a shocker a stinker of a game really to lose. Even without abhishek and bumrah. Will be a huge upset if Pak wins.

Why won't Bumrah play? He is already set to play today

 

[deltexas]

Why won't Bumrah play? He is already set to play today

I meant "if".. Ind will beat Pak even without abhishek and bumrah.in case they dont play for whatever reason. . Ind has a tougher super 8 group with Aus SA WI.. dont see Pak getting into the SF..

 

[Fast bowler6929]

Time to teach that yadav and his other a lesson which will be remembered for long time.

 

[Kriketer]

Babar will be a liability against india's quality attack his slow strike rate will put pressure on others causing them to gift their wickets away. Similar to Rizwan slow strike rate in the last T20 world cup.
He is not a T20 Player T20 cricketers have evolved, he has not. It will come back to haunt Pakistan.

From what I recall without Babar and Rizwan, our T20 side became worse. Need atleast one anchor role, even if it's at 100 strike rate. We just dont have a better dependable option. Too many consistent failures in the team

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

No need to stress out too much !
Ind is a strong team, will adapt and are absolutely the faves here. The better team wins and Ind is definitely the better team even if they have an off day. Ind would need a shocker a stinker of a game really to lose. Even without abhishek and bumrah. Will be a huge upset if Pak wins.

My choice of XI

Ishan
Sanju
Surya
Tilak
Rinku
Shivam
HP
Akshar
Jassi
Arshdeep
Varun

Might be slightly long tail - as hard to expect even 15 from last 3 guys...but I feel this XI can convert most bases & situation/conditions/matchups

 

[BouncerGuy]

Need to bench Shaheen.. Cannot be having this guy on the side for this game.. He has been getting smoked by tailenders. Indian batters will feed on him easy..

 

[adi_62941]

I feel pakistan team will be very confident this time and will perform well. They have high morale and its a trickle down effect from top to bottom as we already won our case with ICC and naqvi is flying all time high so the confidence must be showing in the team
Farhan, Agha, Nawaz, Abrar and Usman are the players to watch for from Pakistan

 

[mango_bite77]

I feel pakistan team will be very confident this time and will perform well. They have high morale and its a trickle down effect from top to bottom as we already won our case with ICC and naqvi is flying all time high so the confidence must be showing in the team
Farhan, Agha, Nawaz, Abrar and Usman are the players to watch for from Pakistan

When u feel confident about them, that's when they screw things up.

 

[Hikaru]

We are playing the home team with an unfit squad. Any Bhartiya who thinks this is going to be easy is being delusional.

 

[adi_62941]

When u feel confident about them, that's when they screw things up.

I think from last few years, when they are down they become more weak and dont really get up

 

[harshjoshi87]

I think this might go in favor of India as Samson is more of a muscle player than Abhishek and Samson will do well on slow pitches.

But Abhishek has wood over Pakistani premier fast bowler

On a serious note, yes Samson would do better on slow track at Premadasa compared to Abhishek & Kishan.

 

[harshjoshi87]

He might be out for namibia game but Pakistan game is still 4 days away... easy

Yup Abhishek will even with 50 % fitness against Pakistan.

 

[harshjoshi87]

I think a lot of my fellow Indian fans are being too over confidence, maybe the recent spate of victories justifies this.
But practically, they will land in Colombo on Friday after the Namibia game - would they be acclimatized to sudden hotter : humid conditions?
Match is in Premadesa stadium, a place known for low & slow bounce,ball will grip & will not come on easily.
Not like a lot of indian pitches where one can plonk front foot & hit thru the line.
The boundaries are probably biggest in SL , defo big square of the wicket.
Our guys are natural strolemakers, not very adept at rotating of strike or running quick twos, threes something virat was a master at, but he's not here. Our guys like to feel bat on ball& if this is not forthcoming, try for glory shots

Pluse we've never played against guys like UT & his novelty factor could be a massive roadblock.

All I am saying is if I sitting here & typing this can think of this surely indian team mgmt would have, but it will be a difficult game, i would want our guys to think of ground shots & running sharp singles & rattling the fielders more.

Lastly, i could never fathom how Pak players are so inept at playing Kuldeep, am sure his stats vs pak would be much much better than vs all other teams....same with hardik & the short ball .

Absolutely right. Only advantage is it will also be Pakistan's first match at Premadasa, they played at SSC in first 2 matches.

Kuldeep & Varun should both play on this slow turner. Bumrah & Hardik can be pace options. Plus Axar.

 

[harshjoshi87]

Yup Abhishek will even with 50 % fitness against Pakistan.

will play*

 

[BouncerGuy]

will play*

sure... No problem.. India Pakistan is beast..

 

[Hitman]

Another fine India vs Pakistan encounter. Nothing more entertaining. Can't say it's relaxing though, specially when it's a tight match, LOL.​

 

[imshally81]

My XI is...

Saim
Farhan
Salman
Babar
Fakhar
Usman
Shadab
Mirza / Faheem
Naseem
Abrar
Tariq

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

Absolutely right. Only advantage is it will also be Pakistan's first match at Premadasa, they played at SSC in first 2 matches.

Kuldeep & Varun should both play on this slow turner. Bumrah & Hardik can be pace options. Plus Axar.

So Kulldeep for Arshdeep & ok with others as per my post #172?

Three confirmed tail end guys then.

But still should be good.

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

Absolutely right. Only advantage is it will also be Pakistan's first match at Premadasa, they played at SSC in first 2 matches.

Kuldeep & Varun should both play on this slow turner. Bumrah & Hardik can be pace options. Plus Axar.

Then u r opening with jassi & Shivam/HP - surely there's a weakness there as pak openers will target them

 

[shehz]

Just give Usman Tariq the first over. A tall, lanky spinner with a pause and slingy action should definitely trouble the batsmen in the first few overs. I don’t care who you are..he’s not your regular bowler. Why bring him on when the batsmen are already settled?

 

[Asif321]

80% chance of rain . Seems might be shorten game

 

[Devadwal]

Then u r opening with jassi & Shivam/HP - surely there's a weakness there as pak openers will target them

Bumrah and HARDIK - we played same combo in Asia cup.

Kuldeep and Varun is must for Lanka conditions and Pakistani player's can't even pick Kuldeep most of the times.

 

[Devadwal]

CAPTAIN SURYAKUMAR YADAV ON ABHISHEK SHARMA.

“Abhishek is still not fine, he will miss a game or two”.

Most likely he will Miss Pakistan match.

 

[G0rmintAunty]

I have 4 VIP tikuts, we were expected to be 4 people but 2 had to cancel. If any one is in Sri Lanks and wants to join, let me know.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

@Devadwal will Siraj play on 15th?

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Rana g will go wicketless now

CAPTAIN SURYAKUMAR YADAV ON ABHISHEK SHARMA.

“Abhishek is still not fine, he will miss a game or two”.

Most likely he will Miss Pakistan match.

 

[Devadwal]

Rana g will go wicketless now

Tariq and pakistan premier bowler might be saved from Epic phainata.

 

[Devadwal]

@Devadwal will Siraj play on 15th?

No chance , not even Arshdeep Play

Sanju/ Abhishek
Ishan
Tilak
Sky
Hardik
Dube
Rinku
Axar
Kuldeep
Varun
Bumrah

Most likely playing 11.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Come on guys. Let us unleash 16 overs of spin. Sundar, Axar, Varun C, Kuldeep plus we have Abhishek.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Rana g will go wicketless now

But Abrar can preven himself from giving "self send-off" lol

 

[RidiculousMan]

80% chance of rain . Seems might be shorten game

Nafay is a must then

 

[jnaveen1980]

I just hope Pandya bats for like 7 overs in full flight against Tariqu and other spinners

 

[Champ_Pal]

Namib captain Erasmus is a fantastic player.

 

[SportsWarrior]

the way India played today, they need to tighten their game a lot to not only win against Pak, but to progress any further.. they look pretty casual and unprepared

 

[The Bald Eagle]

I just hope Pandya bats for like 7 overs in full flight against Tariqu and other spinners

Pandya's Windies root can help him big time... Great pinch hitter

 

[jnaveen1980]

the way India played today, they need to tighten their game a lot to not only win against Pak, but to progress any further.. they look pretty casual and unprepared

Abhishek is the one who has been nightmare against spinners. Moment he is gone we kinda look out of depth against spin.

 

[SportsWarrior]

yeah, overall overall India has regressed in spin play. Both defense and offense looks very unreliable

Abhishek is the one who has been nightmare against spinners. Moment he is gone we kinda look out of depth against spin.

 

[Rajdeep]

Its too cold and too far to travel all the way to Colombo for Srilanka. A match of this magnitude deserves to be in NaMo stadium with 100k sanatanis in attendance.

@The Bald Eagle @emranabbas - if we agree to shake hands brother, can you guys travel to Bharat for this game?

 

[RidiculousMan]

Indian and Pakistani bowlers record against each other in T20Is

vs India

​

Player	Wickets	Avg	SR	Econ
Shaheen	5	35.40	26.20	8.10
Faheem	4	15.00	12.00	7.50
Naseem	7	16.57	13.70	7.25
Nawaz	6	22.16	15.60	8.48
Shadab	3	31.10	32.50	5.81
Abrar	2	43.50	36.00	7.25
Saim	3	28.66	20.00	8.60

-----

vs Pakistan

​

Player	Wickets	Avg	SR	Econ
Bumrah	9	19.33	16.70	6.91
Arshdeep	7	17.57	13.40	7.85
Pandya	15	14.60	11.00	7.96
Dube	2	28.00	21.00	8.00
Axar	5	16.80	14.40	7.00
Varun	3	37.33	32.00	7.00
Kuldeep	8	9.87	9.00	6.58

-----

Notes:

Key bowlers for Pakistan are Faheem, Naseem and Nawaz. Shadab is not a wicket taker but has the best economy among both teams.

Key bowlers for India are Pandya, Arshdeep, Bumrah, Axar and Kuldeep.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Pakistan has been traditonally been bunny of Indai in T20 format dating back to 2007. Lost 13 out of 16 games against them. So it will be an upset should pakistan pull this one off even with Abhishek's absence , even with their custom made turning wickets in SL lol. Let us hope India finds a way

 

[mon858]

All will depend on how we bat against Kuldeep and Varun. Those 8 overs will determine fate pf match. Score even 60 for 2 wicket, and you can aim for 100 on other 12 overs. If you lose 4 to 5 wickets to them its game over.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Its too cold and too far to travel all the way to Colombo for Srilanka. A match of this magnitude deserves to be in NaMo stadium with 100k sanatanis in attendance.

@The Bald Eagle @emranabbas - if we agree to shake hands brother, can you guys travel to Bharat for this game?

I will travel to India if you fulfill my 3 conditions

Post in thread 'Déjà vu or Stunner? The world awaits as Usman Tariq & Co embark to slay India's "SKY-high" batting Goliath'

Yesterday at 3:49 PM

@Rajdeep OP is back with Spoiler alert thread's but in slightly different way.

Lol just boiling up your blood mate....

Remember the 3 points I taught you
No handshake
One-sided victory
And dedication to your victims

Yes, you failed big time to sack Naqvi, but here is your best chance now...Go India Go......#IYKWIM

• The Bald Eagle

• 

 

[RidiculousMan]

Based on these stats above and the fact that match is happening in Colombo. These scenarios are likely to happen.

Scenario 1: India bats first, Pakistan bowls

India innings: 150/7 in 20 overs
Pakistan innings: 135 all out in 20 overs
India wins!

Scenario 2: Pakistan bats first, India bowls

Pakistan innings: 144/8 in 20 overs
India innings: 145/4 in 19 overs
India wins!

-----

If Pakistan wants to win this, they have to bat first and score 160+. That's their only chance!

 

[sweep_shot]

Based on these statsabove and the fact that match is happening in Colombo. These scenarios are likely to happen.

Scenario 1: India bats first, Pakistan bowls

India innings: 150/7 in 20 overs
Pakistan innings: 135 all out in 20 overs
India wins!

Scenario 2: Pakistan bats first, India bowls

Pakistan innings: 144/8 in 20 overs
India innings: 145/4 in 19 overs
India wins!

-----

If Pakistan wants to win this, they have to bat first and score 160+. That's their only chance!

I think Pakistan have a good chance to win.

Team is very settled and they have the winning momentum.

 

[SportsWarrior]

if whoever bats first scores in excess of 160, it just makes it easier for them. This is especially true for Pak. Pak is good at defending than chasing a target down. WIth poor spin playing skills and surprise factor involved in Pak line up, i say it is 55/45 in favor of Pak

 

[The Bald Eagle]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2021934931275133044

 

[rickroll]

Is dew a factor during the second innings of this game?

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

85% chances of rain

 

[shamaan]

I think its 50/50 match

16 overs off spin for Pakistan
12 overs off spin for India

 

[Rajdeep]

85% chances of rain

Aur khelo Colombo mein.

@The Bald Eagle still has time. Come to Modi Stadium man.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Aur khelo Colombo mein.

@The Bald Eagle still has time. Come to Modi Stadium man.

Weren't you boycotting buddy

 

[rickroll]

85% chances of rain

So weather man is the ultimate winner of this? Such a let down after all the drama leading up to this game.

 

[Rajdeep]

Is @Rana in Colombo? He can give us update on weather

 

[shamaan]

Farhaan
Saim
Agha
Babar (if it's a full game)
Usman khan
Shadab
Nawaz
Fahim
Shaheen
Abrar
Usman Tariq

 

[Rajdeep]

Weren't you boycotting buddy

Season of u-turns remember?

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Will Abhishek Sharma play T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan?

India's explosive left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma is doubtful for the highly anticipated ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan, scheduled to be played in Colombo on February 15.

The top-ranked T20I batter missed India's recently concluded fixture against Namibia here due to a stomach infection, which the defending champions won comfortably by 93 runs.

The victory marked India's second victory in as many games and lifted them to the summit of the Group A standings, but they face a major challenge in their next group-stage fixture as they take on traditional rivals, who also won both their first two fixtures.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav provided an update on Sharma's health condition at the toss for their Namibia clash here earlier today, stating that the 25-year-old may miss more matches.

"Abhishek is still not fine, he will miss a game or two," said Yadav.

Furthermore, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), while sharing their lineup for the aforementioned fixture, shared that his condition was being monitored by its medical team.

"Abhishek Sharma is still recovering from his illness and was unavailable for selection. The BCCI medical team is closely monitoring his progress."

For the unversed, Sharma fell ill on the eve of India's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign opener against the United States of America (USA), during which he bagged a golden duck and did not take the field during the second innings.

India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate later confirmed that the batter was recovering from a stomach bug.

"Abhi still has a few issues with his tummy," ten Doeschate had said. "We are hopeful that he'll be available for the game in two days' time."

Will Abhishek Sharma play T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan?

BCCI says Sharma 'still recovering' from illness and is being closely monitored by medical team

www.geosuper.tv

 

[Rana]

Is @Rana in Colombo? He can give us update on weather

I’m in the south until Sunday


I think the rain isn’t too bad from what I heard in Colombo. Should get a game in

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Aur khelo Colombo mein.

@The Bald Eagle still has time. Come to Modi Stadium man.

1 point jayega Raju.

 

[prash88]

Babar ll play a master class innings at 90 SR. That ll give India the edge.

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

I have 4 VIP tikuts, we were expected to be 4 people but 2 had to cancel. If any one is in Sri Lanks and wants to join, let me know.

Njoi G0rmint bhai....hope to see you live on tv - wear some 8-9 colored dress and match it with some harqatein - just joking....have a good time and safe travels!

 

[harshjoshi87]

Then u r opening with jassi & Shivam/HP - surely there's a weakness there as pak openers will target them

Bumrah, Hardik & Dube will get some purchase from Premadasa wicket. Spinners can take over from 6th/7th over.

 

[rballer]

85% chances of rain

With so much drama, anticipation, hate and trash talk if the match gets rain out, I am going to b pissed.

 

[heddie19]

With so much drama, anticipation, hate and trash talk if the match gets rain out, I am going to b pissed.

It won't get rained out hopefully.

 

[mon858]

So if its fully rained out does icc lose money still or no loss if game abandoned due to rain???

 

[BouncerGuy]

The whole thing will go down the drain if rain spoils the game.... I think it will be worst possible scenario for sponsors and broadcasters.

 

[Kriketer]

Yup Abhishek will even with 50 % fitness against Pakistan.

Same guy who got out on 0 against USA?what was the the fit % of him against them lol?

Over rated ipl tulla hacks, your FTB batsmen go clueless the moment there are bowling friendly pitches. Indians love hyping up their T20 hacks

 

[Kriketer]

The whole thing will go down the drain if rain spoils the game.... I think it will be worst possible scenario for sponsors and broadcasters.

Will be rather hilarious since we have been seeing nonstop cries from Indians for the game and it wouldn't even happen if it rains

 

[Asif321]

Won’t be a washout . Likely a delay start if anything . 75% chance of rain ( 6mm ) only . Between 1pm to 7pm.

 

[BouncerGuy]

TALK ABOUT THE GAME GUYS

 

[Bhaijaan]

The whole thing will go down the drain if rain spoils the game.... I think it will be worst possible scenario for sponsors and broadcasters.

If it rains, i hope the players can come up holding umbrellas to give us some memories of maybe sharing a laughter with each other like good old days bro.

 

[harshjoshi87]

If it rains, i hope the players can come up holding umbrellas to give us some memories of maybe sharing a laughter with each other like good old days bro.

Yes like Sachin & Wasim in Toronto back in '96.

 

[BouncerGuy]

If it rains, i hope the players can come up holding umbrellas to give us some memories of maybe sharing a laughter with each other like good old days bro.

LOL... This is not gonna happen... Jay Shah will kill them..,

 

[Bhaijaan]

Yes like Sachin & Wasim in Toronto back in '96.

We all remember Wasim bhai asking Sachin how is Bhabhi at the toss.

Also, we remember Immy Khan havign coffee with Sunny Gavaskar and requesting him to please wear a helmet because he was a brother and dear to him. Imran Khan saved his life bro.

Those were the days when we had real men, real gentlemen playing the game.