India captain Suryakumar Yadav has confirmed that the Indian cricket team will travel to Colombo as scheduled for their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan on February 15 — even if the game does not go ahead.
Speaking at a pre-tournament press briefing in Mumbai on Thursday, Yadav said that India has not refused to play Pakistan and that their flight to Colombo is already booked. “Our mindset is clear… we did not refuse to play them. The refusal came from them. Our flight to Colombo is booked and we are going,” he said.
The development comes amid growing uncertainty over the marquee India-Pakistan fixture after Pakistan’s government directed its team to boycott the match, reportedly as a show of solidarity with Bangladesh after the latter withdrew from the World Cup over security concerns.
Yadav reiterated that India remains committed to its World Cup schedule and will focus on its campaign as planned. The defending champions begin their tournament against the USA on February 7, before travelling to Colombo for the February 15 fixture.
As the row continues, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has warned of potential sanctions if teams fail to honour approved fixtures, highlighting the high stakes involved in cricket’s most anticipated rivalry. (Newswire)