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Kathmandu, Feb 7: The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 begins today, Saturday, marking the 10th edition of the tournament in the world’s most popular cricket format. Jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the month-long event opens with a grand ceremony at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium this evening.

The opening ceremony will start at 6:15 pm Nepali time, followed by the opening match between India and the United States at 7:15 pm. Three matches will be played across two countries on the first day. Pakistan face the Netherlands in Sri Lanka, while West Indies take on Scotland in India, alongside the India vs USA fixture.

A total of 20 teams are competing in the tournament, including Nepal. This is Nepal’s second consecutive appearance and third overall in the T20 World Cup. Nepal have been placed in Group C alongside England, West Indies, Scotland, and Italy. England and the West Indies are both former world champions, making Nepal’s group one of the toughest in the competition.

The tournament features 11 Test-playing nations and nine associate teams. Across the previous nine editions, six countries have won the title: India, England, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Australia.

Fifty-five matches will be played across eight venues, five in India and three in Sri Lanka. In India, matches will be hosted at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, and Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Sri Lanka’s venues include R Premadasa Stadium and the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo, along with Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

The final is scheduled to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. However, if Pakistan qualify for the final, the match will be shifted to R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Politics and boycotts overshadow the tournament

Despite the excitement on the field, the World Cup has been overshadowed by political tension, security concerns, and diplomatic disagreements. The tournament has become as much about international politics and ICC regulations as it is about cricket.

Following Bangladesh’s withdrawal earlier, Pakistan has announced it will not play its group stage match against India, further escalating the controversy.

Pakistan’s boycott decision

On February 15, the Pakistan government announced that its team would not take the field against India in the group stage, describing the move as an act of “solidarity” with Bangladesh. Bangladesh had earlier demanded that all its matches be moved out of India, citing security concerns. The ICC rejected that request, leading Bangladesh to withdraw from the tournament. Scotland replaced Bangladesh in the lineup.

Pakistan also refused to play matches in India and requested neutral venues for its fixtures. After an independent security assessment, the ICC said it found no substantial risk in India and rejected Pakistan’s demand. Following that decision, Pakistan opted to boycott the match against India.

India set to travel to Sri Lanka

Despite Pakistan’s announcement, India has confirmed they will travel to Sri Lanka as scheduled. Indian captain Surya Kumar Yadav told a pre-tournament press conference that no instruction had been given to skip the match.

“The ICC has provided the schedule, the government has designated the neutral venue, and our flights are booked. We are going to Sri Lanka,” he said.

Under ICC playing conditions, a team that refuses to play is considered to have forfeited the match. In that case, India would receive two points, while Pakistan would lose points.

Sri Lanka’s concern and financial impact

Pakistan’s decision is expected to hurt Sri Lanka the most. Sri Lanka Cricket has written a formal letter to the Pakistan Cricket Board, urging it to reconsider. Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva said all arrangements, including security, hotels, flights, and ticket sales, were already in place.

A cancelled match would cause significant financial losses for the host board.

The letter also recalled Sri Lanka’s past support for Pakistan cricket. After the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, Sri Lanka were the first national side to tour Pakistan when other teams were reluctant to do so.

ICC rules and the force majeure debate

The possibility of sanctions against Pakistan has sparked debate around the ICC’s Member Participation Agreement, particularly the “force majeure” clause. This provision allows exemption from penalties in unavoidable circumstances such as war, terrorism, natural disasters, or government orders.

Legal experts say the Pakistan Cricket Board could argue it received a written government directive preventing it from playing India. If the ICC accepts this as force majeure, Pakistan may avoid heavy fines. However, the PCB would need to formally notify the ICC and clearly explain how the government order made compliance impossible.

Government interference and possible sanctions

The ICC constitution requires member boards to operate independently, without government interference. Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka have previously faced suspensions over such issues. In 2019, Zimbabwe were suspended for three months after government intervention, while Sri Lanka lost hosting rights for an Under 19 World Cup in 2023.

Given these precedents, the possibility of some form of sanction against Pakistan and Bangladesh cannot be ruled out.

Impact on points and revenue

Pakistan’s boycott will directly affect the points table. Each group match carries two points, and net run rate often decides semifinal qualification. A forfeited match counts as scoring zero runs in 20 overs, badly damaging net run rate.

Pakistan still have group matches against the Netherlands, USA, and Namibia. While they appear winnable on paper, Pakistan’s shock loss to the USA in the 2024 T20 World Cup shows the risk remains.

Financially, an India-Pakistan match is among the highest revenue-generating fixtures in world cricket. Last year’s Champions Trophy match drew over 600 million viewers on Jio Hotstar. Its absence is a major blow for broadcasters, sponsors, and organisers.

A tournament remembered for controversy?

Cricket history includes several politically driven boycotts, including in the 1996 and 2003 World Cups. While teams lost matches, they largely avoided major fines. Given today’s commercial scale and broadcast value, the consequences this time could be far-reaching.

As the T20 World Cup begins, attention remains fixed on the ICC’s response, Pakistan’s fate, and the future of India-Pakistan cricket relations. One thing already feels certain: this tournament risks being remembered as much for controversy as for cricket.

The 20 teams competing in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 have been divided into four groups.

Group A: India, Pakistan, the Netherlands, Namibia, and the United States. Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Oman. Group C: Nepal, England, West Indies, Scotland, Italy. Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates.

People’s News Monitoring Service