"I feel a little sorry for them, and I'm also a little surprised. What do they want? As they say, "When destruction is imminent, wisdom fails." Because if Pakistan doesn't play this match and concede the points, and then you meet India later, will you still not play? So if you've decided this, then you haven't left ICC with any option. ICC will have to kick them out because it would be blackmail, wouldn't it?... They don't know the financial loss will be significant," Atul Wassan told ANI. 

"Team India will travel to Sri Lanka and follow ICC protocol. They will practice as per schedule, do a press conference and reach the stadium according to time and wait for the match referee to call off the match," a BCCI source told news agency ANI. 

Despite Pakistan deciding to boycott their group stage T20 World Cup clash against India on February 15, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sources have said that that the Men in Blue will travel to Sri Lanka for the match as per ICC protocol and wait for the match referee to call off the match.

The other sanctions could range from top member nations refusing to play bilateral series with them, hefty financial sanctions and also, ban on overseas players' participation in the PSL.

ICC is set to take a slew of punitive actions against Pakistan in the wake of their government's decision to boycott the T20 World Cup match against India, including a possible ban from the upcoming edition of the marquee event.

“ICC tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, and selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions. While the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan," stated ICC in an official release. 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) reacted to Pakistan's decision to boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 group stage match against India. The ICC said in their official statement that the decision undermines the integrity of global cricket and can have long-term implications on the sport. The statement added that the ICC has still not received any official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about the decision.

Pakistan were scheduled to face India in a group stage match in Colombo on February 15. The decision was taken by the government following the International Cricket Council's (ICC) removal of Bangladesh from the tournament. Bangladesh requested ICC to shift their matches from India citing 'security concerns' but their request was denied.

“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,” the government posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the developments regarding Pakistan's decision of boycotting the match against India at the T20 World Cup 2026. The Pakistan government took to social media on Sunday and announced their decision.