T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav BREAKS silence on India-Pakistan boycott row, confirms team will…

T20 World Cup 2026: India captain Suryakumar Yadav on Thursday said the team will travel to Colombo for their ICC T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan, despite the neighbouring nation announcing a boycott of the fixture.

However, the Indian skipper admitted that the situation is challenging for everyone involved, including the ICC, which has already warned Pakistan of serious consequences.

“I feel it is not an easy job. It is not my call. I am sure they (the ICC) might be working out something as well but it has come from the other government or the nation, how can they (the ICC) help as well?” Suryakumar said during the pre-tournament captains press conference here at the BCCI headquarters.

Men in Green has been instructed by the Pakistan Goveremnt to boycott clash against India

India are set to take on their arch-rivals Pakistan on February 15, but the Men in Green has been instructed by its government to not take the field. The decision was taken by the goverment after Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland for refusing to play in India, citing “security concerns.”

India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav gave a smart response when asked about the Pakistan issue, “This is not in our hands,” he said. “It’s their call, not ours. For us, there’s a game in Colombo on February 15. We will go and will be there to play. Our itinerary is set. We will play the first match here and will go to Delhi, and from there to Colombo. Hum toh ja rahe hai, humme mana nahi kiya unhone (we are going, they haven’t asked us not to turn up).”

Sharif clarified that Pakistan’s decision to boycott the match is a political move

On Wednesday, Sharif clarified that Pakistan’s decision to boycott the match is a political move, “We have taken a very clear stand on the T20 World Cup that we won’t play the match against India because there should be no politics on the sports field,” he told members of his cabinet. “We have taken a very considered stance, and we should completely stand by Bangladesh, and I think this is a very appropriate decision.”

India will play their World Cup 2026 opener against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. The defending champions are placed in Group A alongside the USA, Pakistan, Namibia and the Netherlands.

Suryakumar said that the team will travel to Colombo

When questioned about his mindset as captain in light of the current situation, Suryakumar said, “The mindset is pretty clear. We have not said no, it has come from them. The ICC has given a fixture, the BCCI and the (Indian) government has decided with the ICC on playing at a neutral venue.”

“Hamari to flight booked hai Colombo ki bhai, aur ham toh jaa rahe hai… aur baaki udhar dekh lenge (our flight is booked for Colombo and we are going).

“The discussion in the team is (also) clear. First, we will play the match on 7th. Then we will go to (New) Delhi (for match against Namibia) and after that we will go to Colombo,” he added.