T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule: India To Face Pakistan In Colombo On This Date

India will take on Pakistan in a high-profile T20 World Cup 2026 encounter in Colombo on February 15. Both teams were placed in the same group along with USA, Namibia and Netherlands. The T20 World Cup 2026 will begin on February 7 with the final taking place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8. The final will be shifted to Sri Lanka if Pakistan qualify for the summit clash. A look at all of defending champions India's group stage fixtures - USA (February 7) in Mumbai, Namibia (February 12) in Delhi, Pakistan (February 15) in Colombo and Netherlands (February 18) in Ahmedabad.

The top 2 teams from each group will reach the Super 8 stage.

Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Colombo and Kandy will host the matches.

An agreement reached earlier this year between India and Pakistan means that the semifinals and final will take place in different locations based on Pakistan's advancement, adding a special administrative twist to the 2026 competition.

India faced Pakistan on three occasions in the Asia Cup 2025 with the Suryakumar Yadav-led side emerging victorious in all the matches. It included the stunning five-wicket win in the final.

Indian cricket team star batter Rohit Sharma, who won the 2007 T20 World Cup as a batter and lead the side to victory in 2024, was named brand ambassador for the T20 World Cup 2026.

Group B puts Sri Lanka in a potentially challenging arrangement with Australia, Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Oman. Australia's first match is against Ireland, while Zimbabwe's return to World Cup action begins with a high-profile match against the hosts.

Group C, which also includes Bangladesh, first-time qualifiers Italy and Nepal, is led by two-time champions England and the West Indies. As early as February 11 in Mumbai, England will play the West Indies. Italy's participation, which is their first in the tournament, gives it a historic feel.

Group D, which is arguably the hardest of the four, includes Afghanistan, South Africa, and New Zealand, the 2024 semifinalists. Canada and UAE complete the line-up, but the spotlight will firmly be on the heavyweight clashes, especially South Africa vs Afghanistan and New Zealand vs South Africa, both set for Ahmedabad.

Here are the full official groups of the T20 World Cup 2026:

Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia
Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy
Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE

(With agency inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

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