Pakistan will face India in T20I World Cup at R Premadasa stadium at Colombo on February 15, 2026.Match will start at 6:30 PM.
India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup Playing XI
India come in with a slightly more settled XI and stronger death bowling, while Pakistan have bigger spin variety and top‑order flair but a few more uncertainties in form and balance.
India probable XI (R. Premadasa, Colombo): Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy.
Pakistan probable XI: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed.
India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026:Role‑by‑role comparison
| Aspect | India today | Pakistan today | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top order | Abhishek + Kishan + Tilak – all aggressive LH batters who attack powerplay pace and spin.[ | Saim + Farhan + Salman – left‑right mix, Saim very attacking but Farhan/Salman a bit less explosive. | Slight India in powerplay hitting. |
| Middle order | SKY, Hardik, Dube, Rinku – very strong 4–7 with proven finishing and six‑hitting depth. | Babar at 4, then Usman, Shadab, Faheem – good quality but less raw power than India’s 5–7. | India for middle/finish. |
| Spin options | Axar, Washington, Varun (plus part‑time from Tilak) – 3 frontline options, Varun as mystery spinner.[ | Shadab, Abrar, Usman Tariq (plus Salman/Saim if needed) – more specialist spin, including leg‑spin and mystery spin. | Pakistan on spin variety. |
| Pace attack | Bumrah as spearhead, Hardik as seam all‑rounder, maybe only one pure quick but strong death skills. | Shaheen + Salman Mirza + Faheem – left‑arm new‑ball threat but recent reports question death‑over consistency | India at the death, Pakistan with new ball. |
| Experience in IND‑PAK T20 WCs | SKY, Hardik, Bumrah, Axar have big‑game & IPL knockout experience. | Babar, Shaheen, Shadab have IND‑PAK and World Cup pedigree. | Roughly even, different cores. |
Conditions today (Colombo)
- Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo – evening game, spin expected to play a major role.
- That slightly favours Pakistan’s four‑spinner option but India’s batting depth and Bumrah at the death keep them very balanced
India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup Match prediction
- If pitch is slow and turning a lot: Pakistan’s extra specialist spinners can choke runs, so they look stronger in the middle overs.
- If pitch is truer or chase is on: India’s deeper power‑hitting lineup and Bumrah’s death overs give them a small edge overall.
India vs Pakistan Head to Head Stats
India have dominated Pakistan in T20 World Cups so far, with a 7–1 lead in eight meetings.
Overall T20 World Cup head‑to‑head
- Matches: 8.
- India wins: 7.
- Pakistan wins: 1.
- Ties / No result: 0 (one game in 2007 was tied but India won via bowl‑out, which is counted as an Indian win in records).
Match‑by‑match T20 World Cup record
| Year | Venue | Result | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 (group) | Durban | Tie, India won bowl‑out | India | Bowl‑out win. |
| 2007 (final) | Johannesburg | India defended title | India | 5 runs |
| 2012 | Colombo | Chasing vs Pakistan | India | 8 wickets. |
| 2014 | Mirpur | Group match | India | 7 wickets |
| 2016 | Kolkata | Group match | India | 6 wickets |
| 2021 | Dubai | Historic first WC win | Pakistan | 10 wickets |
| 2022 | Melbourne | Last‑ball chase | India | 4 wickets |
| 2024 | New York | Low‑scoring thriller | India | 6 runs |
- This 7–1 record is the best win–loss for any team against a single opponent in men’s T20 World Cups.
- Overall T20Is (not just World Cups): India 13 wins, Pakistan 3 wins.
