India, Pakistan to face off in group stage of T20 WC: ICC

Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have been clubbed together in the same group and will play each other on Feb.15 in Colombo in the T20 World Cup, cricket’s world body announced Tuesday.

Defending champions India and Pakistan have been placed in Group A in the 20-team competition being co-hosted by Sri Lanka, according to the schedule released by the International Cricket Council in Mumbai.

Asian neighbours headline Group A, which also consists the US, Namibia and the Netherlands. Both Asian giants are expected to advance comfortably, though the USA’s stunning upset over Pakistan in the previous edition serves as a reminder that early complacency could prove costly.

Group B puts co-hosts 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 Feb.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 semi-finalists. 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.

It will be the first time the two teams play each other since their three heated contests at the 2025 Asia Cup in the UAE, where they skipped the customary handshake at the toss and post-match greetings.

The Asia Cup was the first time they had met since deadly border conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May.

The T20 World Cup will see Pakistan playing all their matches in Sri Lanka, part of a compromise deal that allows both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments.

Matches in the tournament will be held from Feb.7 across five venues in India and three in Sri Lanka.

Cricket-mad India, the world’s most populous nation, is the epicentre of the T20 game through its lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), boasting top global stars.

The tournament will use the same format as 2024 -- 20 teams in four groups, ahead of a Super Eights phase, with the top two finishers from each group making it to the playoffs.

The final will be played on March 8 either in Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan go all the way.

India enter the sport’s 10th edition of the showcase T20 tournament as reigning champions, having beaten South Africa by seven runs in 2024 in Barbados.

Rohit Sharma named tournament ambassador: Former India captain Rohit Sharma — the man who lifted the Men’s T20 World Cup trophy in 2024 — has been named the tournament ambassador for the 2026 edition.

This appointment represents a fitting transition into a new role for a player whose T20I resume shines with records, milestones, and memories. One of the most important players in the format, Rohit ended his T20I career with 4231 runs at an average of 32.01 and a strike rate close to 141.

From a brilliant 20-year-old who entered the first T20 World Cup in 2007 to an experienced leader who masterminded India’s eagerly anticipated victory in 2024, his legacy is woven into the very fabric of the competition.

Announcing Rohit Sharma as ambassador of T20 World Cup 2026, ICC chairman Jay Shah posted, “It’s my honour to announce that @ImRo45 is the tournament ambassador for the upcoming @T20WorldCup in India & Sri Lanka. There can be no better representative for the event than the winning captain of the 2024 T20 World Cup, and a player who has been in all nine editions so far,” Shah posted on Instagram.

Days into his international career in 2007, Rohit displayed the bravery that would later come to define his style. In the tournament, he amassed 88 runs without being dismissed, scoring a vital 30* against Pakistan in the tense final and a composed, undefeated 50 against South Africa in the Super Eights. A young Rohit gave a glimpse of a bright future as India raised the trophy.

Agencies