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India will face Pakistan of their third Group A match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday (February 15) at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
India’s likely playing XI for T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan. (Picture Credit: X/@BCCI)
World No. 1 T20I team India will face Pakistan of their third Group A match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The high-voltage match between the 2 teams is scheduled to happen on the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday (February 15). Each India and Pakistan have won two matches played to date in the continuing 20-team tournament, and the winner of Sunday’s match will turn into the primary team from Group A to qualify for the Super 8s of the T20 World Cup 2026.
For the massive match against their arch-rivals, Indian team management could make multiple changes to their playing XI. There may be a high possibility of Kuldeep Yadav’s inclusion in India’s playing XI for the Pakistan match. It is going to, nonetheless, be interesting to see who makes way for him within the XI. Rinku Singh didn’t impress together with his batting within the two T20 World Cup matches played to date, and Arshdeep Singh also had a forgetful outing against Namibia in Delhi on Thursday.
Certainly one of them is all certain to make way for Kuldeep, and there’s also a possibility that each Arshdeep and Rinku might be dropped to the bench to create space for Kuldeep and Washington Sundar.
Sundar, who last played a competitive cricket match for India on January 11, 2026, against Latest Zealand in Vadodara, can be available for selection. Sundar’s inclusion within the playing XI will give India yet one more spin bowling option, and he can even add depth to India’s batting unit.
World No. 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma missed India’s second Group A match against Namibia in Delhi on Thursday, and there remains to be no clarity over his availability for the match against the Salman Ali Agha-led side.
He’s, nonetheless, all set to travel to Colombo with the Indian team.
If Abhishek is fit to feature, then he’ll replace Sanju Samson within the playing XI and open the innings with Ishan Kishan. Otherwise Samson, who scored 22 runs from 8 balls against Namibia, will get yet one more game.
Jasprit Bumrah bowled 4 overs in Delhi on Thursday to prove his fitness, and Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube also rolled their arms against Namibia and managed to take wickets as well, which indicated that they might be used as specialist bowlers against Pakistan.
India’s likely playing XI for the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan: Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
February 13, 2026, 00:00 IST
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