The India-Pakistan rivalry reignites in Colombo for T20 World Cup 2026 at R. Premadasa Stadium. Pakistan’s Salman Agha called correctly at the toss, choosing to field first against a confident Indian side. Captain Suryakumar Yadav upheld the ‘no handshake’ tradition started in Asia Cup 2025, a stark reminder of the frosty post-Operation Sindoor dynamics.
‘We preferred batting but trust our bowling attack after back-to-back defenses,’ SKY stated. ‘Cricket’s beauty is its unpredictability—Abhishek and Kuldeep return to bolster us.’ This policy of no physical greetings has persisted through three Asia Cup clashes, all Indian triumphs, culminating in the title win.
Nicknamed ‘Operation White Ball,’ India’s campaign dismantled Pakistan repeatedly. Historically, in T20 World Cups, India leads 7-1. Expectations are sky-high for another chapter in this saga.
Team India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (keeper), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
Pakistan XI: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha (capt), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq.
With no frills or handshakes, the focus sharpens on pure cricket warfare. Pakistan seeks redemption; India eyes continuation of dominance. This match could redefine the tournament narrative.