T20 World Cup 2026: Will Pakistan-India meet again?

India remain firmly on track to defend their T20 World Cup title after a flawless start to the tournament, winning all three of their matches so far. They opened their Group A campaign with comfortable victories over the USA and Namibia before travelling to Colombo for the tournament’s marquee clash against Pakistan.

The build-up to the encounter was dramatic. The fixture drew widespread attention after Pakistan initially opted to boycott the match in solidarity with Bangladesh. Following weeks of uncertainty and behind-the-scenes discussions, Pakistan eventually agreed to play. However, the much-anticipated contest failed to live up to expectations, as India produced a dominant display to secure a comprehensive 61-run win — another one-sided result in recent ICC meetings between the two rivals. The victory extended India’s T20 World Cup head-to-head record against Pakistan to 8-1.

Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India have now booked their place in the Super 8 stage. Pakistan, meanwhile, remain in contention but face a nervous path to qualification. Sitting third in the group with two wins and one defeat, they are level on points with the USA in second place. The Men in Green must beat Namibia at the R. Premadasa Stadium on February 18 to secure progression.

Despite frequent meetings in ICC and ACC tournaments, the intensity of an India–Pakistan contest never wanes. The key question now is whether the two sides could meet again in this World Cup.

Under the tournament format, the top two teams from each of the four groups qualify for the Super 8s. The eight qualifiers are then split into two groups of four, with teams playing round-robin matches. The top two from each group advance to the semi-finals.

Ahead of the competition, the ICC pre-seeded the top eight ranked T20I sides for the Super 8 stage. Under this structure, India and Pakistan have been placed in separate Super 8 groups to avoid repeat fixtures and maintain competitive balance. As a result, any rematch between the arch-rivals can now take place only in the knockout rounds.

That opens up the possibility of a semi-final meeting if both sides qualify and finish in complementary positions, such as one topping its Super 8 group and the other advancing as runner-up.

Alternatively, should both teams top their respective groups and win their semi-finals, they could set up a blockbuster final on March 8 — a contest that would rank among the most anticipated matches in world cricket and could attract record global viewership.