On February 15, 2026, an enthusiastic journalist, while checking the details of the stand on the match ticket, said: “Our view is best to cut a square, Jahan Sehwag ne Shoaib Akhtar ko chakka maara tha (Where Sehwag Six criticized Shoaib Akhtar). The journalist was referring to the 2003 World Cup match between the two archrivals on the day of Maha Shivaratri.
Nearly 13 years after India’s famous win over Pakistan in Centurion, the hype surrounding the T20 World Cup match has been far from expected. As a dejected Harsha Bhogle said in a video, the hype created by the India-Pakistan game felt artificial rather than organic.
While sitting inside the bus on its way to Colombo’s famous R Premadasa Stadium, I read a post on social media suggesting that the match was the first India-Pakistan World Cup match without Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni or Virat Kohli. This is not a mind-boggling statistic, but it made me wonder what essential element of ‘star power’ is missing in the current Indian team.
Indian fans missed the presence of stars like Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the match against Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 15 (Sunday). | Image source: Annie
– Reducing competition
I was flown to Colombo to be part of the Budweiser 0.0 Hotel Experience, where fans, tastemakers, journalists and influencers were brought together under one roof, in an attempt to experience the frenzy surrounding the so-called big screen encounter.
In the lead-up to the first group match, I interacted with fans from both teams, and the result was the diminished nature of the once-celebrated cricket rivalry. An Indian man was sitting next to me on his way from the airport to the hotel, and he said in his phone call: “I have no interest in this matter. The game is just an excuse for me to communicate with all of you.” It was a sign of things to come for me.
The ‘would they want to, wouldn’t they’ attitude, as a result of Pakistan’s previous decision to boycott playing in India, has caught the attention of many fans. The game was clearly overshadowed by politics. Once the decks were cleared, the match was important from a cricketing perspective, if only because these two teams are not playing a bilateral series.
Read also: India and Pakistan confrontation: In defense of the “boring” match.
On the breezy night before the showdown, while trying to understand the apathetic mood surrounding the contest, I met a Pakistani fan in his twenties. He said: My name is Anwar. Two minutes into our conversation, Anwar gave the impression of being impressed with himself. He had no qualms accepting that India were a superior team. What was even more surprising was his lack of concern for the noise. “What’s the party scene like in Colombo?” This was his big inquiry.
Pakistani fans had nothing to cheer about during their country’s ICC T20 World Cup match against India at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 15 (Sunday). | Image source: Lahiru Harshana
The mentality of new generation players
Moments later, I met a young Pakistani player who had not yet participated in the ongoing World Cup. “Do you feel pressure?” You asked the trite question. “Not at all. The pressure, even if it is there, will go away after a few overs. After that, it’s just cricket,” he said with a smile. Cool head, my less judgmental mind thought. Could it be overconfidence too? My critical mind asked.
Another corny question followed. “Who is your inspiration from Pakistan?” He did not wait for a response, saying:“Main khud.” (I am my inspiration). I was not expecting the rookie to not pick a single name from the country’s rich cricketing history. The current players have borne the brunt of the media and experts for not appreciating greats like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.
Cricket Talks in Colombo
Colombo is the neutral venue for the match, and locals are keen to see if the match will live up to the hype. The World Cup gripped the city with a feverish passion for cricket. On the famous beach of Mount Lavinia, I see young Faith fishing from his father. He dives in and takes them clean. Faith is only nine years old and is madly in love with cricket, his father told me. “India and Pakistan will play at the top of Group A,” says the shy boy. “I watch WPL and IPL too,” he adds.
On match day, a sea of blue covers the roads leading to Premadasa. The Indian fans dance and sing, giving the impression that the match is worth watching, although records tell a different story. Barring two instances (the 2017 Champions Trophy final and a 2021 World Cup T20 league match), India have routinely won matches against Pakistan in major ICC tournaments.
Glory days
My disappointment stems from the glory days of watching these two teams battle it out with an incredible mix of patriotism, talent and heroism. My first memory of the joy of watching an India-Pakistan match was of my father clapping and screaming with joy after Hrishikesh Kanitkar hit a winning boundary off the penultimate ball to help India lift the Independence Cup in Dhaka. Every time they faced each other in the 1990s and early 2000s in World Cup finals, the players showed their best versions (Ajay Jadeja and Venkatesh Prasad in 1996, Sachin Tendulkar and Saeed Anwar in 2003).
Just before entering the stadium, I saw an enthusiastic, stats-obsessed fan talking to the local media. “Pakistan are the favorites! The Indians did not know how to play Usman Tariq. Abhishek Sharma was ill recently, and Tilak Varma just returned from injury,” he said. His words gave me hope for an equal competition.
Also Read: Sunil Gavaskar says Pakistan will find it difficult to beat India B team
An hour into the match, it was business as usual as the Indian batsmen laughed at the analysis of the enthusiastic fans. More than just a field battle, the sight of two rows in front of me caught my attention. A Pakistani fan sat between two Indians. All frontiers and borders witnessed Indians playfully harassing Pakistanis. Light banter was followed by a hug.
Wonderful camaraderie
India had made a competitive total (175/7), and as the players were leaving for the break, I said hello to the trio in front of me. Omar, Ram and Verrall were colleagues. They traveled from Dubai to watch the match. “In Dubai, we don’t have any animosity between India and Pakistan. We watch all the matches together and enjoy them,” Omar said.
As India took on Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup on February 15 (Sunday) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, fans from both countries shared hilarious moments. | Image source: AP
The Pakistani fan added that the noise is doing more harm than good to the team. “Babar does not believe he is the Kohli of Pakistan. It is the media narrative,” he said. I asked the Indians if they were missing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. “Of course, but T20 cricket doesn’t need stars. It needs big batsmen and batsmen who can time the ball well,” they said. Well, that’s another reason why the huge hype around just two teams makes less sense when the tournament has featured so many unlikely champions and major upsets so far.
Much ado about nothing
Babar flounders and Pakistan collapses. There is no change in scenario for irregular competition. Despite watching wet jeers, fans wait to see if the players shake hands or not. But they don’t, as politics continue to dictate matters on the cricket ground. A journalist vents his frustration over watching a boring match on social media. “You call this a classic?” he wrote on his Instagram stories.
I entered the hotel elevator, ready to retire after a long day. A Canadian greets me with a smile. “Did you watch the game, I assume?” “Yes,” I said with a faint smile. He replied: “Oh, India vs Pakistan, big match.” “Do you watch cricket?” I quipped. “No. But I know that India and Pakistan hate each other.”
His answer summed up the current state of competition between the two teams. Off-field developments have affected on-field work. The intimate competition has lost its luster.
