India vs Pakistan 2026 T20 World Cup is just a night away. The main event of the ICC event will be held on Sunday, February 15 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Both the teams are already preparing, with Pakistan already playing their matches in Sri Lanka and India arriving in the island nation only last night.
Pakistan has not been able to achieve a single win in its last five matches against India in all competitions. India have a 15-1 lead against their arch-rivals in the World Cup stage. The rivalry has been one-sided in the World Cup as Pakistan last won in the 2021 T20 World Cup, and this is their only win over India.
Pakistan has upper hand over India?
The Green Team has the advantage of living in Sri Lanka and they are well acquainted with the conditions there. R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, is known for its dry and slow pitches as the ball turns and grips slightly. This was seen in the very first match of co-host Sri Lanka when their spinners took 7 out of 10 wickets in the match against Ireland.
On Sunday, the India vs Pakistan match will be played on the same wicket on which Zimbabwe defeated Australia by 23 runs. However, surprisingly, it was Chevron’s fast bowlers who took the wickets. Led by Blessing Muzarabani, who took 4 wickets for 17 runs, fast bowler Brad Evans took 3 wickets for 17 runs, the duo combined to take seven wickets. Chasing the target is not easy on this ground as the pitch gets slow.
India vs Pakistan: Pitch Report
A score of 200 has not yet been made on this pitch in the T20 World Cup 2026. This explains why the average first innings score at this venue hovers between 140 and 170. Big boundaries and an entertaining pitch make it difficult to score 200+ runs. Fast bowlers will get some offers with the new ball; However, the spinners are predicted to dominate the game.
According to TOI, the pitch used for the IND vs PAK match will be used. This will be the same pitch where the match between Zimbabwe and Australia was played.
Both teams have quality spinners with wrist spinners and mystery spinners who will make more of an impact. India has players like Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav, who may have a role in the upcoming match. On the other hand, Pakistan has Usman Tariq and Shadab Khan, as Usman Tariq is making headlines for his unorthodox action.
Spinners will dominate in India vs Pakistan match
But the India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 match may be affected by rain in Colombo. Rain has been predicted before the game and also during the match. Therefore, there may be delays and start-stops in the toss during the match. If rain comes then the toss will be a big factor as the team will look to bat first and get runs on the board.
The India vs Pakistan rivalry over the years has always been about Indian batsmen vs Pakistani fast bowlers; This time, it will be a different scenario as it will be Indian batsmen versus Pakistani spinners. Pakistan has two frontline spinners and three spin bowling all-rounders. India have struggled against spin in recent times and this will be an interesting battle to watch.
Also read: Players of India, Pakistan ready to shake hands in T20 World Cup 2026, boycott of handshake ends
