IND vs PAK playing 11 LIVE: Focus on handshake at toss; Colombo weather update - pleasant morning
India vs Pakistan, Colombo weather live updates: The forecast for the day has changed, as scattered clouds can be seen. There is a chance of rainfall at 2 PM IST, which is a few hours before the toss.
India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026: Will Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Agha shake hands today?
The most-awaited clash of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is finally set to get underway today at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, with arch-rivals India and Pakistan standing face to face in a crucial Group A clash.
The winner of this match will book their place in the Super 8s. However, all the focus at the moment is on what playing 11 combinations both teams will field and how the weather in Colombo will behave during the marquee clash.
Surya hints at Abhishek’s inclusion
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, in the pre-match press conference in Colombo on Saturday, while addressing the statement made by Pakistan skipper Salman Agha, said that if the Pakistan team wanted Abhishek to play, they will play him in the game. This hints that the flamboyant Indian opener might have recovered enough to take the field for the high-stakes game.
Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy, after India’s game vs Namibia, also stated that Abhishek is good enough to play the Pakistan game. This means Sanju Samson is expected to lose his spot in the playing 11 if the southpaw returns as the only change in India’s batting line-up.
More emphasis on spin
It has been reported that the India vs Pakistan game on Sunday will be played on the black soil pitch in Colombo, which means spinners will get more help from the wicket than pacers. Keeping this in mind, India are likely to call back Kuldeep Yadav for the Pakistan game in place of Arshdeep Singh and have him accompany Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy in the spin department.
In Arshdeep’s absence, Bumrah, Hardik and Dube are expected to lead India’s pace attack.
Pakistan skipper on India clash
Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha struck a respectful tone ahead of the high-profile T20 World Cup 2026 clash against India, saying he hopes opener Abhishek Sharma recovers in time to feature in the contest while talking to the media in the pre-match presser on Saturday.
On top of that, Agha described the encounter as one of huge magnitude and said his side had stayed prepared despite uncertainty around the fixture earlier in the week. Pakistan enter the contest with momentum after wins over the Netherlands and the USA, while India are also unbeaten so far. Agha emphasised that execution with both bat and ball will be key if Pakistan are to come out on top in the marquee rivalry.
The Pakistan skipper did not mention any playing 11 change expected to take place, which likely means Pakistan will stick to their usual spin-heavy side against India.
Colombo weather report
Colombo had a pleasant morning in terms of weather conditions on Sunday, with a little overcast sky but not too many dark clouds. However, the situation is expected to change in the latter half of the day as, according to weather forecasts, heavy rainfall is expected at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo starting 5 PM IST, which means fans can witness a shortened or even a washout game.
Super 8 qualification race
The India vs Pakistan match will also be important in terms of the Super 8 qualification race as both teams have won two games each and all the other three teams in the group have lost at least two games each. This means the winner of the India vs Pakistan game will book their place in the next stage with a match to spare.
If the match is washed out due to rain, both teams will share one point each and, with five points to their name, will both qualify for the Super 8 round.
India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026: Probable Playing 11
India playing 11 (probable): Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Varun Chakravarthy
Pakistan playing 11 (probable): Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Agha Salman (captain), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Tariq, and Salman Mirza
India vs Pakistan ICC T20 World Cup 2026: LIVE TELECAST
Star Sports Network will telecast the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 matches in India.
India vs Pakistan ICC T20 World Cup 2026: LIVE STREAMING
The JioHotstar app and website will live-stream the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 matches in India.
1:11 PM
LIVE | India vs Pakistan Player battle: Afridi vs Kishan - Who leads the battle
Shaheen Afridi and Suryakumar Yadav have had a limited but competitive match-up in T20 Internationals across two meetings, in 2021 and 2025. In 2021, Suryakumar scored seven runs off four balls without being dismissed, striking at 175 and hitting one six in the process. Afridi conceded two dot balls in that exchange.
However, the contest tilted in the pacer’s favour in 2025. Suryakumar failed to score from five deliveries and was dismissed, with Afridi bowling five dot balls in that spell.
Overall, across nine deliveries, Suryakumar has scored seven runs and been dismissed once, with seven dot balls faced. The cumulative strike rate stands at 77.8. The numbers reflect a tightly fought duel, with Afridi holding a slight edge in their head-to-head record so far.
| Shaheen Afridi vs Suryakumar Yadav record in T20I | |||||||
| Year | Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | SR |
| 2021 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 175 |
| 2025 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 7 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 77.8 |
12:59 PM
LIVE | India vs Pakistan Player battle: Afridi vs Kishan - what stats say
Shaheen Afridi and Ishan Kishan are yet to face each other in T20 Internationals. If the two come up against one another in today’s India vs Pakistan clash, it will mark their first meeting in the format — adding an extra layer of intrigue to the contest.
Even in One-Day Internationals, the sample size between the two remains extremely limited. Their only recorded face-off came in 2023, when Kishan scored just one run off three deliveries from Afridi and was not dismissed. Afridi bowled two dot balls in that brief exchange, restricting the scoring rate to 33.3.
With such sparse head-to-head data — one ODI passage and no T20I meetings — there is little statistical evidence to draw meaningful conclusions. That uncertainty makes today’s potential battle between Afridi’s left-arm pace and Kishan’s attacking intent all the more compelling.
| Shaheen Afridi vs Ishan Kishan record in ODI | |||||||
| Year | Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | SR |
| 2023 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 |
| Total | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 |
12:41 PM
LIVE | Overcast skies in Colombo ahead of Ind-Pak clash
The weather remains cloudy in Colombo, with dark clouds hovering over the R Premadasa Stadium and a mild breeze blowing across the ground. However, rain is yet to arrive, though the threat still looms large ahead of the high-voltage India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup match.
Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are set to face off at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo later today. Match starts at 7 PM IST, with the toss scheduled at 6:30 PM IST.
R Premadasa Stadium weather live visual
12:32 PM
LIVE | India vs Pakistan Player battle: Afridi vs Abhishek - who leads the battle
Shaheen Afridi and Abhishek Sharma have produced a striking head-to-head contest in T20 Internationals so far, with the Indian opener clearly on top. Across their meetings, Abhishek has scored 36 runs off 19 balls against the Pakistan left-arm pacer and has not been dismissed even once.
Despite Afridi managing to bowl seven dot balls, Abhishek has countered his pace and angle effectively, finding the boundary with ease. The Indian batter has smashed three fours and three sixes in this match-up, translating into an explosive strike rate of 189.5.
These numbers highlight Abhishek’s fearless approach against one of Pakistan’s most experienced new-ball bowlers. While Afridi remains a major threat in powerplay overs, the current data suggests Abhishek has been able to dominate the contest and score quickly without taking excessive risks.
| Shaheen Afridi vs Abhishek Sharma stats in T20 Internationals | |||||||
| Year | Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | SR |
| 2025 | 36 | 19 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 189.5 |
| Total | 36 | 19 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 189.5 |
12:24 PM
LIVE | India vs Pakistan Player battle: Bumrah vs Farhan - who wins the battle
| Jasprit Bumrah vs Sahibzada Farhan record in T20Is | |||||||
| Year | Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | SR |
| 2025 | 51 | 34 | 0 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 150 |
| Total | 51 | 34 | 0 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 150 |
12:11 PM
LIVE | Colombo weather news: Cloud cover but no rain
Colombo remains overcast, but there has been no rain since last night. Check out Colombo weather forecast ahead of the India vs Pakistan clash.
| Colombo Weather Forecast – India vs Pakistan (Match Day) | |||
| Time (Local) | Event Stage | Cloud Cover | Chance of Rain |
| 18:00:00 | Pre-match (1 hr before toss) | 100.00% | 49.00% |
| 18:30:00 | Toss | 100.00% | ~13% |
| 19:00:00 | Match start | 100.00% | 9.00% |
| 8:00–11:00 PM | Match hours | 100.00% | ~9–13% |
- The match has no reserve day.
- If washed out, both teams will receive one point each.
11:53 AM
LIVE | Decoding Pakistan and Indian spinners dismissal pattern in ICC T20 World Cup 2026
With Colombo wicket expected to be tacky, lets take a look at how the spinners of both teams performed in ICC T20 World Cup 2026,
READ THE FULL ANALYSIS HERE
| Spin Dismissal Trends: India vs Pakistan | |||
| Bowler | Team | Key Mode of Dismissal | Percentage |
| Varun Chakravarthy | India | Bowled | 39.60% |
| Axar Patel | India | Bowled | 27.70% |
| Salman Ali Agha | Pakistan | LBW | 20.00% |
| Abrar Ahmed | Pakistan | LBW | 16.30% |
| Kuldeep Yadav | India | LBW | 14.10% |
READ THE FULL ANALYSIS HERE
11:33 AM
LIVE | Why India vs Pakistan cricket match matters for broadcasters
The India-Pakistan clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is once again proving to be the tournament’s biggest commercial driver. Just days after Pakistan withdrew its earlier boycott threat, advertising rates for the marquee fixture have shot up sharply ahead of the teams’ meeting in Colombo this Sunday.
Broadcasters are now quoting nearly ₹70 lakh for a 10-second spot, compared with a peak rate of about ₹40 lakh for the same match during the 2024 edition. The jump highlights the unmatched ability of an India-Pakistan contest to draw viewers and premium ad spends.
By comparison, peak 10-second advertising slots during the Indian Premier League typically cost around ₹20 lakh. Globally, the Super Bowl remains in a different bracket, with similar airtime priced between ₹2.2 crore and ₹2.8 crore.
Media buyers say no other cricket fixture matches India versus Pakistan for viewership and advertising intensity. If the match had not gone ahead, JioStar, which owns the 2026 T20 World Cup media rights, could have faced a major revenue setback, risking nearly 20 per cent of the projected ₹2,000 crore advertising revenue. During the 2024 tournament, Disney Star is estimated to have earned around ₹1,200 crore from advertisements.
TAP ON THE IMAGE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
TAP ON THE IMAGE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
11:21 AM
LIVE | Colombo weather news: Cloud cover at R Premadasa Stadium
Live pictures from Colombo show overcast skies, with thick cloud cover hanging above the Premadasa Stadium. After weeks of uncertainty surrounding the India vs Pakistan clash, actual rain clouds have now gathered over the ground.
India vs Pakistan live weather news
11:15 AM
LIVE | India vs Pakistan Playing 11: Squad of both teams
Squads:
India Squad: Ishan Kishan(w), Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
Pakistan Squad: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Khan(w), Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza, Khawaja Nafay
11:12 AM
T20 World Cup 2026 today's match: India vs Pakistan in Colombo
Colombo weather as India and Pakistan gear up for the much-anticipated clash today at the R Premadasa Stadium.
With rain likely to affect the India vs Pakistan clash and the handshake controversy expected to resurface, stay tuned to Business Standard for all the live updates building up to the match.
Topics : ICC T20 World Cup T20 cricket India cricket team Pakistan cricket team India vs Pakistan Cricket News
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First Published: Feb 15 2026 | 11:07 AM IST