SRINAGAR: India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group for the T20 World Cup and will meet on February 15 in Colombo, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced. The rivals, grouped together in Group A of the 20-team tournament co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will renew their on-field contest for the first time since their tense Asia Cup encounters in 2025.
The Asia Cup marked their first meetings following deadly border clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May this year, with the teams notably skipping customary handshakes at the toss and after the matches.
Under a compromise arrangement for multi-nation events, Pakistan will play all their fixtures in Sri Lanka, ensuring both countries compete only at neutral venues.
The T20 World Cup will run from February 7 to March 8, with matches spread across five venues in India—Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Mumbai—and three in Sri Lanka—Colombo, Kandy and a second Colombo venue. A total of 55 matches will be played.
The competition will follow the same format as 2024, featuring 20 teams divided into four groups before a Super Eight stage, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the playoffs. The final will be staged on March 8, either in Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on Pakistan’s progression.
Australia, England, South Africa, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, the United States and West Indies join hosts India and Sri Lanka as top finishers from the previous edition. Namibia and Zimbabwe have qualified from Africa, while Ireland, the Netherlands and Italy represent Europe. Nepal, Oman and the United Arab Emirates are also included.
Group B comprises Australia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Oman; Group C includes England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal and Italy; and Group D features New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada and the UAE.
India enter the tournament as defending champions, having defeated South Africa by seven runs in the 2024 final in Barbados. Anticipation is high among Indian fans hoping for a second home triumph, following the men’s 50-over World Cup victory in Mumbai in 2011.
India’s women recently secured their first World Cup title, beating South Africa in Mumbai — a final that matched men’s T20 World Cup 2024 viewership on the JioHotstar app, drawing 185 million users, according to the ICC.
ICC chairman Jay Sharma unveiled the full schedule at the announcement in Mumbai.
