India-Pakistan T20 World Cup Standoff: Boycott in Group Stage, Chaos in Knockouts?

• Pakistan received clearance for the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka but will boycott their group-stage match against India on February 15 in Colombo.
• The decision stems from a deal where India and Pakistan agreed not to travel to each other's countries for ICC events, playing at neutral venues instead.
• Pakistan's boycott gives India two automatic points and significantly narrows Pakistan's path to the next stage, requiring them to win all remaining matches.
• The PCB has not clarified what happens if India and Pakistan meet in the Super 12s, semi-finals, or final, raising questions about potential forfeits and sanctions.
• A knockout stage boycott would be a massive blow to the ICC's commercial interests and credibility, with hundreds of millions in broadcast revenue at stake.

Why It Matters: Pakistan boycotts T20 World Cup group match against India, raising concerns about potential knockout stage forfeits.