India and Pakistan could miss their highly anticipated T20 World Cup match in the 2026 tournament’s group stage. Indian media says the change is due to recent political disputes and India’s refusal to play in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy this year—a Change of Focus. India and Pakistan are often placed together at big events, partly because they have not been able to stage a bilateral series since 2013.
Only when they participate in the Asia Cups and the World Cups are these meetings deemed major events, bringing in huge numbers of viewers from all over the globe. Due to rising tensions between the PCB and BCCI, the ICC is considering altering the usual formula. Discussions will occur during the International Chamber of Commerce Annual Conference. Official sources told a local news agency that the question of India and Pakistan being together in next year’s World Cup will be discussed at the ICC meeting next month.
Although it’s unlikely that India and Pakistan will miss ICC knockouts, the ICC is exploring the possibility of not placing them in the same group as in previous years. The International Cricket Council will decide next year, with Jay Shah at his first annual meeting as chairman. The day after the Champions Trophy 2025, India’s decision not to go to Pakistan for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy made the dispute between these countries grow even further.
Both cricket boards agreed that for ICC events in the coming three years, India and Pakistan will bypass each other and instead play at neutral locations. How Fans Are Affected If the groups are confirmed differently, the world’s cricket fans and broadcasters will likely miss out on the high-stakes India-Pakistan match in the group stages. A head-to-head might only happen during the knockout rounds if both sides get through. Such a decision would be unusual for the ICC, reflecting how ongoing political problems affect cricket’s grand rivalry. The upcoming July session from the ICC is closely watched by cricket fans, who hope that a love of the sport might unite teams again, at least on neutral ground.
