If there is a solitary conclusion that can be drawn from the events of the last two weeks, it is that today’s match — India vs Pakistan — is, indeed, the most important game in international cricket.
On purely cricketing context, the game does not mean much. Both India and Pakistan have won their first couple of matches at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, and considering their remaining games in the group stage, both teams are likely to qualify for the Super 8 regardless of the outcome of today’s match.
Yet, the match has immense importance. For, when the Government of Pakistan decided to boycott the match a couple of weeks ago, it was estimated that there will be a revenue loss of around $200 million from a single fixture. India vs Pakistan is a rivalry, whether Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav admits it or not, and the only certainty of a rivalry is that it will sell.
Ahead of the marquee clash today at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, let us have a look at the five major talking points:
1. To Shake, or Not to Shake, That Is the Question.
We are talking about hands — what else could you have thought?
Since the 2025 Asia Cup, the Indian cricketers have not been shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts. Suryakumar Yadav was accused of acting against the spirit of the game — though, what the ‘spirit’ entails remain vague — and he explained that some things are ‘ahead of sportsman spirit.’
Few things are ahead of sportsman spirit. We stand with all victims of Pahalgam terror attack and dedicate it to armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor.Suryakumar Yadav
But, the context have since changed. With Pakistan deciding to boycott the match, before eventually changing their stance after a tripartite meeting where the ICC had to get involved, there is much speculation on whether handshakes will return in India-Pakistan cricket matches.
When Pakistani captain Salman Ali Agha was asked about it, he — though not explicitly — all but confirmed that his players will not back away from shaking hands, should the Indian players offer theirs.
The game should be played in the same spirit. And what I expect, obviously, does not matter. But I feel that the game should be played the same way as it has been since the beginning of cricket. And the rest is up to them and whatever they want to do.Salman Ali Agha
His Indian counterpart, Suryakumar Yadav chose to extend the suspense for a few more hours.
Wait for 24 hours for that. Why are you highlighting that? We are here to play cricket we will play good cricket we will take all those calls later tomorrow wait for it, eat well and sleep well we will see tomorrow.Suryakumar Yadav
2. Will Rain Provide an Anti-Climactic Twist?
After the many rounds of deliberations, discussions, debates and meetings, it will be agonisingly anti-climactic if the match is affected by rain. Unfortunately, it might just be.
According to AccuWeather, there is a 49% to 61% chance of precipitation from 1pm to 6pm at Colombo. On the eve of the game, there was a drizzle and covers had to be called on.
The saving grace, in this occasion, is that the chances of precipitation drop to 9% at 7pm — when the first ball is expected to be bowled. Rain is not expected in the night, and should it pour during the day, the excellent drainage facilities of Colombo could ensure that no overs are lost.
3. The Debate on Usman Tariq
No one is being able to pick Usman Tariq. With a slingy arm, a bizarre pause before releasing the ball, and overall, a unique action, Tariq has picked up 11 wickets in four T20Is. Though the ICC has legitimised his action on two occasions, Tariq can barely keep himself away from controversy.
At the pre-match press conference, Agha acknowledged that Tariq is Pakistan’s trump card, and also claimed that the off-spinner remains unaffected by the many debates encircling him.
For us, all the players are equal. You guys made Usman Tariq so big. For us, just like there are 15 players, Usman is also there. And obviously, he has been bowling very well for the past few months. And he has also bowled very well in the league cricket he was playing before playing for Pakistan. And yes, you can say that he is a trump card for us. He doesn't care about these things (controversies). Since the time he has started cricket, these talks are going on about him. He doesn't care about these things.Salman Ali Agha
The Indian captain, on being asked about Tariq, used a back-to-school analogy.
Look, sometimes, there is a question in the exam, out of syllabus. So we can't leave that question. To tackle that, you have to try something. You have to adopt your own way. And we try the same way. Yes, he is a different character when he comes to bowl, but at the same time we cannot just surrender to him. We practice with similar type of bowlers and similar actions and we will try to execute what we are practicing in net sessions.Suryakumar Yadav
4. Spin It to Win It
Today’s pitch will be the same as the one used in the match between Zimbabwe and Australia. Surprisingly, it was pacers who ruled the roost in that match, as Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans combined to pick up seven wickets.
However, the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo has historically been conducive for the spinners. In accordance, India are expected to field an additional spinner in Kuldeep Yadav, with Arshdeep Singh likely to make room for the left-arm wrist spinner.
To counter India’s trio of Yadav-Varun Chakaravarthy-Axar Patel, Pakistan are likely to field as many as four spinners, in Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed.
Pakistan's spinners lead the 2026 T20 World Cup with 13 wickets (avg. 15.76), topping the charts for strike force. On the other hand, India's spinners anchor with the best economy (5.76, <1 run/ball) and 47.4% dots.
According to data from CricViz, Indian spinners excel at bowled (Varun Chakravarthy has a 39.6% bowled rate, Axar Patel’s rate is 27.7%), beating batters through the gate on turning tracks. On the other hand, Pakistan's spinners master LBW (Salman Ali Agha 20%, Abrar Ahmed 16.3%), trapping via straight lines and pressure.
5. Rivalry Rekindled?
At the Asia Cup, Suryakumar Yadav claimed that India vs Pakistan is not a rivalry anymore. The claim is not entirely unsubstantiated, for in T20I cricket, India have won 13 of their 16 matches against Pakistan. In Men’s T20I World Cup, the record is 7-1.
Yet, as evident from the events since 1 February, a strong Pakistani team is essential for international cricket to thrive and grow. With Agha’s team having shown glimpses of a potential renaissance, having beaten Australia and then winning their first two matches in this tournament, it will be interesting to see if they can rekindle the rivalry, or whether India will have it easy again.