India and Pakistan will face each other in a Group A match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 15. The match will begin at 7 pm IST. Both teams are coming into this game with two straight wins. India are currently at the top of the Group A table with a strong net run rate of +3.050 after beating the USA and Namibia.
Pakistan have also won their matches against the Netherlands and the USA. They are placed second in the group with a net run rate of +0.932. In T20 World Cup history, India have dominated this rivalry with a 7-1 record. Pakistan’s only win in the tournament came in 2021 at the Dubai International Stadium.
Overall, India hold a 13–3 lead over Pakistan in T20Is and have won their last five meetings, including three in the Asia Cup 2025. Here are three key player battles to watch in this big match.
#1 Abhishek Sharma vs Shaheen Afridi
Aggressive opener Abhishek Sharma is likely to return to the playing XI after missing the last match because of a stomach infection. His comeback will strengthen the batting lineup led by Suryakumar Yadav. Fans will be excited to watch his contest with Pakistan’s main fast bowler, Shaheen Afridi.
Abhishek has scored 36 runs from 19 balls against the left-arm pacer and has not been dismissed by him so far. The two also had a heated moment during the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2025. It will be interesting to see whether Abhishek continues to dominate or if Shaheen gets his revenge by taking his wicket early.
#2 Suryakumar Yadav vs Usman Tariq
Captain Suryakumar Yadav played a brilliant innings in India’s first match against the USA. He scored an unbeaten 84 off 49 balls and rescued the team after a batting collapse. However, in the next game, he couldn’t make much impact and was stumped for 12 off 13 balls against left-arm spinner Bernard Scholtz.
With the Colombo pitch likely to be slow, Pakistan’s mystery spinner Usman Tariq could pose a threat to Suryakumar. His unusual action earned him 3/27 against the USA, setting up an intriguing contest with the innovative batter.
#3 Farhan vs Bumrah
Opener Sahibzada Farhan performed really well against star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah during the Asia Cup 2025. In the three matches they played, Bumrah could not get him out and gave away 51 runs from 34 balls.
Farhan even smashed three sixes off Bumrah and scored at an impressive strike rate of 150. Although this matchup currently favors the Pakistani batter, Bumrah will be eager to bounce back and get the better of him this time.
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