India face rivals Pakistan in the T20 World Cup. Read our in-depth preview here
India and Pakistan renew one of sport’s fiercest rivalries on Sunday as they meet in the T20 World Cup 2026 Group A in Colombo.
Both nations arrive unbeaten after two matches, with India sitting top of the group thanks to a superior net run rate.
With Virat Kohli no longer part of the T20 setup, responsibility with the ball has shifted further towards Jasprit Bumrah, whose control in both the powerplay and death overs remains crucial.
Support from Arshdeep Singh and the spin options of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav gives India flexibility across conditions.
Pakistan, however, arrive in strong form of their own and possess a pace attack capable of unsettling any batting lineup.
Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan are expected to attack early, while Babar Azam anchors the innings through the middle overs.
The bowling unit led by Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah remains Pakistan’s biggest weapon, especially under lights where movement is likely.
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Team news for India v Pakistan
India have no major injury concerns and are expected to field a similar side to their opening matches. The team management may decide between Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar depending on pitch conditions, particularly if additional spin is required.
Hardik Pandya is set to continue his all-round role, contributing both as a middle-order hitter and a seam option, while Axar Patel provides balance with left-arm spin and late-order batting.
Pakistan are also close to full strength. Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah lead the fast-bowling unit, with Abrar Ahmed offering a specialist spin option.
Expected line-ups for India v Pakistan
India: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav / Washington Sundar
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (c), Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed
How to watch India vs Pakistan: TV channel, live online stream
India vs Pakistan starts at 13:30 GMT on Sunday. The T20 World Cup will be shown exclusively live in the UK on Sky Sports. You can stream it on a vast variety of devices and on the move via the Sky Go app.
For coverage elsewhere in the world, click HERE for details of your local rights holder.
The stats for India v Pakistan
- India lead the T20 World Cup head-to-head record 7-1
- India top Group A with a net run rate of +3.05, compared to Pakistan’s +0.932
- Pakistan arrive on a five-match winning streak across all T20 internationals
- The Premadasa Stadium surface traditionally becomes slower and more spin-friendly in the second innings
- Rain is forecast, increasing the likelihood of a reduced-overs match
Prediction
India’s deeper batting lineup and bowling variety make them favourites, but Pakistan’s pace attack gives them a realistic chance if early wickets fall.
Weather and pitch conditions may keep scoring low, pointing towards a tight contest rather than a one-sided result, but India should edge this one.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: 101greatgoals.com
