Published: Feb 14, 2026, 02:20 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 15, 2026, 11:50 AM (IST)
Team India will face arch-rivals Pakistan in their crucial Group A clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 15. After two emphatic wins, Suryakumar Yadav’s side arrive as defending champions but face a challenging adaptation to Sri Lankan conditions – and the weather forecast adds further concern.
India land in Colombo late on Friday night after their 93-run victory over Namibia in Delhi. Their sole training session at the R. Premadasa Stadium is scheduled for Saturday evening from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM local time (same as IST), followed by a media interaction at 5:30 PM local time.
However, the Met department has predicted rain showers on Saturday afternoon and evening, with a 67% chance of rain, temperatures around 31 degrees Celsius, and up to 16% chance of thunderstorms with 85% cloud cover. This could severely limit India’s preparation time on a pitch they have not played on before in this tournament.
In contrast, Pakistan – who have won both their Group A matches so far – are already well-settled in Sri Lanka. Under the hybrid model agreed between BCCI, PCB, and ICC until 2027, all their matches are in Sri Lanka, giving Salman Ali Agha’s side familiarity with conditions.
Pakistan trained under lights on Friday from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM local time and will have another session on Saturday afternoon from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time, followed by media duties at 1:45 PM. Their uninterrupted preparation gives them a clear edge.
The forecast for Sunday (match day) is even more concerning: 94% chance of rain with up to 12.6 mm of precipitation expected. There could be at least 4 hours of rain, raising the real possibility of the first washout of the tournament.
If the India vs Pakistan match is abandoned without a result, both teams will earn one point each, as there is no reserve day for league-stage games. With both sides currently unbeaten, a washout would keep the Group A race tight.
Pakistan Squad
Sam Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed, Salman Mirza, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Khawaja Nafe.
India Squad
Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dubey, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar.
For all latest updates of T20 World Cup 2026 you can visit: https://www.cricketcountry.com/icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2026/
