Security has become the biggest talking point ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 and Sri Lanka is leaving no stone unturned.
With the tournament just a few days away, the island nation has decided to bring in elite armed forces for the security of all the teams, especially for the high-voltage matches involving India and Pakistan.
Special security arrangements have been made for T20 World Cup 2026
Sri Lanka is co-hosting the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 with India and will host 20 matches between February 7 and March 8. One of the most sensitive matches of the tournament will be the India vs Pakistan match, which is scheduled to take place in Colombo on February 15.
Given the long history of political tensions between the two countries, the India vs Pakistan match has been marked as a top-security event, and Sri Lanka is “paying special attention to India-Pakistan matches.”
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Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister Sunil Kumar Gamage made it clear that the safety of players, officials and fans is his “top priority” to ensure that the tournament runs smoothly.
High alert issued in Sri Lanka between India and Pakistan
As reported by AFP, special commando units, which are usually used to protect visiting heads of state, will be deployed throughout the T20 World Cup 2026. These armed units will “protect the teams from the time they land at the airport until they leave the country” after the matches.
Security teams will protect the players during travel, hotel stay, training sessions and match days. The focus on India vs Pakistan games will be even greater, as matches between the two countries often become emotionally tense due to political issues.
Apart from security, Sri Lanka has also used the upcoming T20 World Cup as an opportunity to upgrade its cricket infrastructure. New flood lights have been installed at the Singhalese Sports Club in Colombo, while the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy is also gearing up for the mega event.
SLC remained neutral in ICC-Bangladesh-Pakistan dispute
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is silent on the ICC-Bangladesh dispute. The SLC decided to remain completely neutral and refrained from taking sides despite Pakistan indicating that it may still consider boycotting the T20 World Cup 2026 in support of Bangladesh.
Responding to their stance, SLC said that they want to keep the game away from politics and only focus on hosting the tournament successfully. However, Sri Lanka is ready to host future tournaments for any country if asked.
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“We remain neutral in these disputes between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh; they are all friendly nations,” Cricket Secretary Bandula Dissanayake was quoted as saying by AFP Colombo.
ICC not happy with Pakistan
Notably, Bangladesh had raised security concerns and asked for their matches to be shifted out of India. However, the ICC rejected the request after conducting a security check. Bangladesh then withdrew from the tournament, with Scotland brought in as their replacement.
It is also being said that ICC is not happy with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s confrontational stance on Pakistan’s withdrawal from T20 World Cup 2026.