‘100 percent match will happen’: Ashwin explains why Pakistan will still face India in 2026 T20 World Cup despite boycott policy

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 teeters on the edge of a historical impasse, as the Pakistan The government officially approved the team’s participation in the tournament, but explicitly excluded them from participation India on February 15.

This ‘selective boycott’ in Colombo followed a movement of solidarity Bangladesh’The removal of the event has put the PCB on a collision course with the ICC just days before the February 7 kick-off. While the Salman Ali Agha-led team has already arrived Sri Lanka to begin their campaign against the The Netherlandsthe shadow of a possible forfeit in the tournament’s most anticipated match looms large over the opening week.

Ashwin reveals why Pakistan will not miss the match against India in the 2026 T20 World Cup despite the boycott

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin remains unmoved by the political posturing and predicts with absolute certainty on his YouTube channel, Ash ki Baat, that the contest will go ahead. Ashwin stressed that this decision could lead to a catastrophic financial loss for the PCB.

He noted that the board would likely be forced to compensate the broadcasters for the monumental revenue lost from this one match, which is estimated at around ₹2,300 crore ($250 million). Ashwin argued that because the tournament is governed by commercial contracts, other ICC member states would also suffer financially, leading them to pressure Pakistan to reverse the decision in the upcoming board meetings.

“100 percent, the India-Pakistan match will happen. I have a feeling that it will happen. In the next three to four days, these decisions will be reversed. And that is my suspicion and I hope that I want to see the India-Pakistan encounter. Because there are a lot of business decisions in it. Pakistan has another problem. There may also be financial loss because you have to reimburse the broadcasters for the loss they have suffered. So I think they will have to come to a compromise. The financial aspect that comes with this will mean that other ICC member states will face losses. During the ICC meeting, all these members will say that because of Pakistan, we will also face losses. Even in PSL, players can say that we will not come. Ashwin said on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat.

READ also: Boycott row: Will Pakistan face ICC punishment for withdrawing from India match?

Ashwin on the difference from historic boycotts during ICC tournaments

Ashwin also elaborated on why he believes the current situation is different from the boycotts seen during the 1996 and 2003 World Cups. He pointed out that teams like it Australia, England and the West Indies previously forfeited matches due to security and travel risks at specific host venues, the upcoming match between India and Pakistan is already scheduled for a neutral venue. Ashwin argued that refusing to play a specific opponent on a neutral ground is not acceptable in the modern cricketing landscape.

“We will talk about the 1996 World Cup and also the 2003 World Cup. Teams refused to travel to Sri Lanka. They enhanced the matches. Also in the 2003 World Cup, teams lost matches due to security and travel. But those are location-related issues. Right now, Pakistan and India are playing on a neutral ground. There is no problem with the location either. So after all this. Saying that I will not play against a particular opponent is just not acceptable in many ways. I hope that better sense will prevail and that these competitions will take place.” Ashwin concluded.

READ also: Pakistan’s boycott of India match in T20 WC 2026: List of teams that forfeited ICC event matches