T20 World Cup: Pakistan Refuses to Play Against India, Indian Captain Reacts

Mumbai: Indian cricket team captain Suryakumar Yadav has reacted to Pakistan’s refusal to play against India in the ICC T20 World Cup.

Under a decision taken by the Government of Pakistan, the national team will not play its scheduled match against India on February 15 in the ICC T20 World Cup. Following this development, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav shared his response during a media briefing in Mumbai ahead of the tournament.

Speaking to the media, Suryakumar Yadav said that regardless of whether the match takes place or not, the Indian team will travel to Colombo as planned. He clarified that India had not refused to play against Pakistan, adding that the refusal came from the Pakistani side.

The Indian captain stated that the ICC finalized the schedule, after which the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in consultation with the Indian government and the ICC, decided to play matches at a neutral venue. “Our flight to Colombo is booked and we are going there. What happens next will be seen later,” he said.

Talking about the team’s environment and planning amid the uncertainty, Suryakumar said the plan is clear: a match on February 7, followed by a game against Namibia on February 12, and then departure for Colombo.

Commenting on the current situation, he said the decision is not within the players’ control and added that if the team is asked to play on February 15, they will do so.

It is worth noting that political tensions also affected cricketing ties between India and Pakistan during last year’s Asia Cup. At that time, following directives from the Indian government, the Indian team avoided handshakes with Pakistani players, and despite winning the Asia Cup, India did not receive the trophy from ACC President and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.