The highly anticipated Group A clash of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 between India and Pakistan got underway under tense circumstances, with Pakistan winning the toss and electing to bowl first. The pre-match formalities were marked by the absence of a handshake between captains, keeping the spotlight firmly on the longstanding rivalry.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha called heads, winning the toss against India skipper Suryakumar Yadav. Choosing to field, Salman commented on the conditions: “It looks like a tacky pitch and may provide some assistance up top. It’s a big game, but everyone is relaxed, focused, and looking forward to the challenge.” He noted that the ground is larger than Colombo’s SSC and that the pitch might play slightly slower than expected.
Suryakumar Yadav, meanwhile, revealed he would have batted first regardless, citing India’s success in the opening two games. “It’s easy to say this is just another match, but it’s a high-stakes contest. This sport teaches a lot, and anyone can have a good day,” he said.
Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Tariq, Abrar Ahmed
India XI: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
India made only minor changes to their playing XI, with Arshdeep being rested.
