What Happens If India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup Match Gets Washed Out? Rules Explained

The drama around Pakistan's participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 Group A match against India on Sunday might have ended, but there still isn't a 100 percent guarantee that the two teams will play against each other at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Though no cricketing hurdle is preventing the two teams from squaring off in the high-profile clash, dark clouds of a possible washout are hovering over the contest. The weather forecast suggests that the chances of rain during the India vs Pakistan match are extremely likely.

Colombo Weather Forecast, Sunday:

During the daytime, there is a 65% chance of rain, with scattered thunderstorms and heavy cloud cover expected throughout the afternoon.

At night, the probability of precipitation drops to 25% (though some local reports suggest it could remain as high as 49%-65% during the early match hours around 7:00 PM).

The conditions, overall, are expected to be humid, with winds from the north at 11 mph.

What Happens If The Match Gets Abandoned?

For a T20 contest to produce a result, a 5-over-per-side contest is necessary. If this minimum requirement isn't fulfilled, the match will be abandoned. Such a situation would see a point each being split between the two teams as no 'Reserve Day' is in place for any of the group stage matches.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) did all it can to make sure the match happens. A few ICC officials even flew to Lahore (Pakistan) in order to convince the PCB to reverse its stance of boycotting the India match. While the Pakistan board agreed to the ICC, it isn't yet known if the weather gods would.

In case of a washed-out contest, it's the broadcaster JioStar that stands to lose the most. The broadcaster's advertisement revenues will suffer the most, as the viewership of the contest plummets.

A complete washout usually requires ticket costs to be returned to fans, wiping out gate receipts, hence delivering a bitter blow to the revenues of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

Overall, a washed-out India vs Pakistan match would leave a big hole in the pockets of all the stakeholders.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket