“I Am Surprised Of Pakistan Backing Out”: Sourav Ganguly Reacts To Pak’s Boycott Of India Fixture

Former India captain and ex-BCCI President Sourav Ganguly voiced his surprise on Sunday over Pakistan’s decision to boycott their highly anticipated February 15 T20 World Cup 2026 clash against India in Colombo. Pakistan announced earlier that they would not participate in the fixture as a show of solidarity with Bangladesh, who withdrew from travelling to India for the tournament.

VIDEO | Former India captain Sourav Ganguly threw his weight behind India’s aggressive batting template in the T20 World Cup, saying explosive top-order players like Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma should not curb their attacking instincts even on two-paced surfaces, despite the… pic.twitter.com/UzIv7RBSjJ

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 8, 2026

Speaking to reporters, Ganguly questioned the logic behind the move. “Backing out of a World Cup for what. They are playing in Sri Lanka, in any case. I am surprised of Pakistan backing out. In a World Cup, every point is important,” he said.

The fixture between India and Pakistan remains one of the most-watched and high-pressure contests in world cricket, making the potential absence of Pakistan from the match even more significant.

Ahead of the tournament, India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav had made it clear that India would go ahead with the game regardless of Pakistan’s decision. Speaking at the Captains’ Media Briefing in Colombo, Suryakumar reiterated India’s readiness.

“Our mindset is clear — we will play. Our flight is booked, and we are going. Rest, they can see for themselves. Their decision is not in my control,” he said, as quoted by the ICC. “We played the Asia Cup (2025), we played them at a neutral venue. We are ready and going to Colombo. We have been told we have a game on 15th Feb.”

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is being played from February 7 to March 8. India began their campaign on February 7 against the USA and will play their second match on February 12. The defending champions are placed in Group A along with Namibia, the Netherlands, the USA, and Pakistan.

India Squad for T20 World Cup 2026:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.

Pakistan Squad for T20 World Cup 2026:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.