The "Men in Blue" will enter the clash with two major changes. Abhishek Sharma has returned to the side after missing out on the previous clash due to a stomach infection. Also, star pacer Arshdeep Singh will make way for the mystery spinner Kuldeep Yadav
Salman Ali Agha (Pic: File Pic)
In the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Team India, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha has won the toss and elected to bowl first at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
The "Green Shirts" will enter with the unchanged paying XI. The side will be expecting their star batsman, Saim Ayub, to bring out his 'A-game'.
After winning the toss, Pakistan skipper Salman said, "We want to bowl first. It looks a bit tacky, so we feel it will assist the bowlers for the first few overs, so we want to use that. We are relaxed in our group and excited for this challenge. Bigger ground than SSC and the pitch is slower than SSC. Same team for us".
The "Men in Blue" will enter the clash with two major changes. Abhishek Sharma has returned to the side after missing out on the previous clash due to a stomach infection. Also, star pacer Arshdeep Singh will make way for the mystery spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav said, "We definitely wanted to bat first; the results here have shown the value of putting runs on the board and defending them well. Since that approach has worked for us throughout the tournament, there was no reason to change anything tonight. India–Pakistan games are never just another match—they carry huge stakes—but staying present and trusting your skills is crucial. The message is simple: focus on what needs to be done, bring your best version to the field, and don’t drift away from your process. This sport humbles you quickly; on any given day anyone can step up, which is why form and mindset matter so much. We’ve made two changes today—Abhishek Sharma returns, and Kuldeep Yadav replaces Arshdeep Singh to freshen up our attack".
T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs PAK: Confirmed Playing XI
India: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (C), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (WK), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq.
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