Overview:
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav is amongst the runs of late. He can floor Pakistan with a big knock. Farhan remains a solid force upfront with his aggressive batting and eye for runs.
The Indian men’s cricket team is set to take on Pakistan in the 27th match of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup campaign, starting February 15. Notably, this match will be held at 7:00 pm IST at the R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. Before this clash, the West Indies face Nepal in Mumbai, whereas the USA take on Namibia in Chennai.
India are the defending champions and are aiming to win their 3rd T20 World Cup. They won the inaugural tournament in 2007.
India, under Suryakumar Yadav, will be aiming to tick the right boxes. They suffered a scare against the USA at the Wankhede, being reduced to 43/4 and 76/6 before a SKY special turned things around. Thereafter, they tamed Namibia by 93 runs.
For Pakistan, this will be a tough contest. They would want to play their best cricket and offer a fight. Pakistan have won both their matches so far against the Netherlands and UAE respectively.
What is the Context of the IND vs PAK match?
India will likely include Abhishek Sharma, who was hospitalised due to a stomach bug before being discharged. Suryakumar Yadav hinted at the possibility of Sharma making a return. India may also opt for spinner Kuldeep Yadav and abandon a struggling batter in Rinku Singh.
India come into this contest on the back of two wins against the UAE and Namibia, respectively. This time around, they will face a bigger challenge.
On the other hand, Pakistan will want to build on its two victories over the Netherlands and the UAE, respectively. Pakistan have a sound spin attack and a decent batting unit which can thwart India.
In terms of the head-to-head record, India and Pakistan have met 16 times at the T20 World Cup. The Indian side has won 12 games, with Pakistan claiming three wins. One match was tied. At the T20 World Cup, India own a 7-1 record from 8 games. One match was tied, which India won via a bowl-out.
India – Probable Playing XI
Abhishek Sharma: The star batter is expected to return in place of Sanju Samson. Abhishek can take on the Pakistan bowlers hard inside the power play overs and deliver a punch.
Ishan Kishan (wk): He enjoyed a terrific series against New Zealand. It included a century in the 5th T20I. Kishan started well against the USA and then scored a majestic fifty against Namibia.
Tilak Varma: He missed the New Zealand T20I series before making a return in the warm-up clashes for India A and the Indian team, respectively. He scored 26 against the USA and 25 versus Namibia.
Suryakumar Yadav (c): He enjoyed a prolific series versus the Kiwis after a disappointing 2025. And then, he hit a sublime 84* versus the USA. He was out for 12 in the next clash.
Shivam Dube: A fierce player, Dube perished for a duck against the USA. He responded with a 23-run knock against Namibia.
Hardik Pandya: The star all-rounder can be India’s match-winner. He managed a paltry 5 with the bat against the USA and then went wicketless. He fought back with a fifty against Namibia and also claimed two scalps.
Axar Patel: He scored 14 runs against the USA before picking 2/24 from his 4 overs. He managed a duck and 2/20 versus Namibia.
Kuldeep Yadav: He hasn’t played any of the two games so far, but can be handed an outing.
Jasprit Bumrah: He will lead the Indian attack. Bumrah will be key both at the top and in the death overs. He owns 108 scalps.
Varun Chakravarthy: He will be the main spinner in India’s ranks. He owns an average of 15-plus in T20Is and has 63 wickets.
Arshdeep Singh: He has 121 scalps in T20Is and took 2/18 versus USA, showcasing his talent. He managed 1/36 versus Namibia.
Player to watch out for (Suryakumar Yadav): The aggressive Indian skipper is amongst the runs of late. He can floor Pakistan with a big knock.
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Pakistan – Probable Playing XI
Sahibzada Farhan: He has been in top form, scoring 47 versus the Netherlands and 73 versus the USA.
Saim Ayub: He has been solid with his all-round skills. He owns scores of 24 and 19 in this T20 World Cup. He has two scalps.
Salman Agha (c): He has looked to be more aggressive of late. After a strong series against Australia, he has failed to deliver with 12 and 1 in this T20 World Cup.
Babar Azam: He will once again bat at 4. He has scores of 15 and 46 in this tournament.
Usman Khan (wk): He is yet to score a run in this T20 World Cup, bagging scores of 0 and 0.
Shadab Khan: He has scores of 8 and 30 in this T20 World Cup. With the ball, he owns 0/26 and 2/26, respectively.
Mohammad Nawaz: He is three shy of 100 T20I wickets (97) and two short of 50 T20I sixes.
Faheem Ashraf: He has scores worth 29* and 1 in this T20 World Cup. Ashraf hasn’t been utilised with the ball.
Shaheen Afridi: He will lead the bowling attack for Pakistan. An experienced figure, Afridi will be keen to take early wickets.
Abrar Ahmed: He has been in good form. Abrar, who has three wickets in this World Cup, is one shy of 50 T20I scalps.
Usman Tariq: There has been a question mark on his bowling. Despite being cleared by the ICC, doubts remain. He has 5 wickets in this T20 World Cup.
Player to watch out for (Sahibzada Farhan): He remains a solid force upfront with his aggressive batting and eye for runs.
Top Batters for Dream11
In terms of the Dream11 team pick, among batters, the likes of Jan Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam and Suryakumar Yadav can be wise picks alongside Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma.
Ishan Kishan can be a differential pick. He promises fireworks and a sound tempo.
Best All-Rounders to Boost Points
In terms of all-rounders, one can go with two sound options in the form of Hardik Pandya and Shadab Khan.
Bowlers to Watch in Dream11
The likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy can be wise picks. Abrar Ahmed can be another option.
Captain and Vice-captain picks
SKY can be an ideal captaincy option with Farhan being the vice-captain pick.
One can mix it with Kishan being picked as captain and having Abrar as the vice-captain.
Pitch Report & Venue Conditions
The R. Premadasa Stadium offers a balanced surface that is flat in nature but deteriorates as the match progresses. The surface starts favouring spinners as the game wears on. The black-soil wicket provides consistent bounce early but becomes slower and grippier, assisting turn and variable bounce in the middle overs. Pacers get minimal seam or swing, especially under day-night conditions, making it a spinner’s paradise for subcontinental clashes.
Match Prediction – Who Has the Upper Hand?
All things considered, India will be the outright favourites, and one expects them to handle the threat Pakistan will provide. Pakistan will back themselves to step up and challenge India.
FAQs About IND vs PAK Playing 11
Who are the key players in the IND vs PAK clash?
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav is amongst the runs of late. He can floor Pakistan with a big knock. Farhan remains a solid force upfront with his aggressive batting and eye for runs.