India and Pakistan are set to renew their storied cricket rivalry on February 15, 2026, at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, during the group stage of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup.
The match forms part of the tournament schedule that the ICC will officially unveil in Mumbai on Tuesday.
According to ESPNcricinfo, which has learned key details ahead of the announcement, this marquee fixture will be India's third group-stage game and the first meeting between the two sides since their three heated encounters during the 2025 Asia Cup.
India and Pakistan have been grouped with USA, Netherlands and Namibia.
India will begin their campaign on February 7, the opening day of the tournament, with a match against the USA in Mumbai. They will then travel to Delhi for their second fixture against Namibia on February 12 before heading to Colombo to take on Pakistan. Their final group game against the Netherlands will be played in Ahmedabad on February 18. The group stage of the tournament will feature three matches each day across the host nations.
The 2026 Men's T20 World Cup will run from February 7 to March 8 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan will play all of their fixtures in Colombo or Kandy. The tournament format will follow the structure used in 2024 in the USA and West Indies, with 20 teams divided into five groups of four, from which the top two teams in each group will progress to the Super Eight. Those eight teams will be split into two groups of four, and the top two from each will qualify for the semi-finals before the winners meet in the final.
If India qualify for the Super Eight stage, their matches will be hosted in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata. Should they reach the semi-finals, their match will be played in Mumbai. The ICC has shortlisted Colombo or Kolkata as the venue for the second semi-final, which may depend on whether Sri Lanka or Pakistan advance. The final has been scheduled for Ahmedabad, though it could be shifted to Colombo if Pakistan reach the title match.
Alongside hosts India and Sri Lanka, the other teams competing in the tournament are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, the United States, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman and UAE. India enter the tournament as defending champions, having beaten South Africa in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados.