Amid uncertainty surrounding the India vs Pakistan group-stage fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Board of Control for Cricket in India vice-president Rajeev Shukla on Sunday said the Indian board has left the matter entirely to the International Cricket Council and will abide by whatever decision the global body takes.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Indian team’s dinner hosted by head coach Gautam Gambhir at his residence in New Delhi, Shukla made BCCI’s position clear on the sensitive issue. “We have left everything on the ICC. We will follow whatever decision the ICC takes,” he said, underlining that the Indian board would defer to the tournament organisers.

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Shukla’s remarks came after Pakistan announced it would not take the field for its much-anticipated group-stage clash against India, scheduled to be played on February 15 in Colombo. Pakistan’s decision was reportedly taken in support of Bangladesh, which had earlier conveyed its unwillingness to travel to India for the tournament.

The development has triggered widespread reactions across the cricketing fraternity. Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly expressed surprise over Pakistan’s stance, questioning the timing and significance of the move in a World Cup context. “Backing out of a World Cup for what? They are playing in Sri Lanka, in any case. I am surprised Pakistan is backing out. In a World Cup, every point is important,” Ganguly told reporters in New Delhi earlier on Sunday.

Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Indian team has continued to focus on its on-field commitments. Ahead of their next group-stage encounter, head coach Gambhir hosted a special dinner for the squad at his residence in the national capital, which was also attended by Rajeev Shukla. The gathering came just days before India’s clash against Namibia on February 12 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

India began their title defence on a positive note with a convincing 29-run victory over the United States of America at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Batting first, the Men in Blue posted 161 for 9 in their 20 overs, with captain Suryakumar Yadav leading from the front with an unbeaten 84 off 49 balls. Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma also made useful contributions in the middle order.

In reply, the USA were restricted to 132 for 8, courtesy of a disciplined bowling effort from Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh. With momentum on their side, India will look to strengthen their position in the group stage when they face Namibia in Delhi on Thursday.

India’s T20 World Cup squad includes Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Rinku Singh.

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