15 February,2026 06:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
A cricket fan cheers for Team India`s Kuldeep Yadav ahead of Pakistan clash (Pic: X)
Ahead of the high-octane clash between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, the cricket fans have gathered in huge numbers at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Several fans were seen waving flags, chanting slogans, wearing their team's jerseys and creating an electrifying atmosphere as they awaited the commencement of one of the most storied rivalries.
Both India and Pakistan have played two matches each in the tournament so far and have registered victories in their respective fixtures. While India will enter the contest on the back of wins against the United States of America and Namibia, Pakistan has defeated the Netherlands and the USA.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side currently tops Group A with four points and a Net Run Rate (NRR) of +3.050, while Pakistan are placed second with four points and an NRR of +0.932.
Ahead of the match, fans will keep a tab on Team India's swashbuckling batsman Abhishek Sharma. The left-handed batsman will be expected to deliver a big knock in the high-pressure clash against the "Green Shirts".
Additionally, Ishan Kishan, who is enjoying his rich vein of form, will be looking forward to replicating his performances from the previous matches.
On the other hand, it will be interesting to see if Pakistan's spinner Usman Tariq manages to pick up wickets against the "Men in Blue". His unique bowling action has been the talk of the town. Along with him, Babar Azam, who has had a mixed bag of results in the tournament so far, will be expected to showcase his skills with the willow.
The title clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to be played on March 8, with the venue yet to be decided.
India's squad: Ishan Kishan(w), Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
Pakistan's squad: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Khan(w), Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza, Khawaja Nafay.
(With ANI Inputs)
