Colombo is buzzing with anticipation as India and Pakistan gear up for their explosive T20 World Cup 2026 showdown at the R Premadasa Stadium this Sunday. Fans are on the edge of their seats, but a looming rain threat could steal the spotlight from this cricket rivalry like no other.
Weather forecasts paint a worrying picture. There’s a 76% chance of rain in Colombo on match day, with conditions expected to worsen before improving slightly in the evening when cloud cover hits 100%, dropping the precipitation odds to 13%. Organizers and players alike will be keeping a close eye on the skies.
History favors India in this fixture. Across eight T20 World Cup encounters, the Men in Blue have dominated with seven wins, Pakistan’s lone victory coming in 2021. At this very venue, India boasts an impressive record since 2009: 11 wins out of 15 T20 matches.
India tops Group A after thrashing USA by 29 runs and Namibia by a massive 93 runs. Captain Suryakumar Yadav’s side is firing on all cylinders, blending explosive batting with lethal bowling.
Pakistan, sitting second in the group, has also started strong, edging Netherlands by 3 wickets before overcoming USA by 32 runs. Led by Salman Ali Agha, they carry the weight of national expectations into this blockbuster.
Post this clash, India faces Netherlands on February 18, while Pakistan takes on Namibia the same day. The stakes couldn’t be higher in this group stage decider.
India Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.
Pakistan Squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmad, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khwaja Nafi, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Sam Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.
As the clock ticks down, one question remains: will the weather play spoilsport in this Indo-Pak thriller?