Suniel Shetty urges India-Pakistan match to go ahead amid T20 World Cup uncertainty: ‘A beautiful rivalry’

Actor Suniel Shetty has expressed his strong desire to see the arch-rivals face each other on the field.

• Suniel Shetty hopes India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match goes ahead as scheduled
• Pakistan may skip the clash, but PCB hasn't formally notified ICC yet
• Sri Lanka Cricket asks PCB to reconsider, citing financial losses from cancellation.

Did our AI summary help?

The ICC T20 World Cup has officially kicked off, but uncertainty continues to loom over one of the tournament’s most anticipated fixtures — the high-voltage Group A clash between India and Pakistan, scheduled to take place on February 15 in Colombo.

Actor Suniel Shetty has expressed his strong desire to see the arch-rivals face each other on the field.

On Friday, Suniel Shetty attended the launch of the book Black Scorpion: To Hell And Back in Mumbai. Speaking to photographers and members of the media at the event, the actor openly shared his wish to witness the India-Pakistan clash at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. His comments come amid reports that the Government of Pakistan has indicated that its team will not play against India.

Speaking on the same, Suniel said he hopes the match proceeds as scheduled. He also extended his heartfelt wishes to the Indian cricket team as they compete in the global tournament.

During his interaction at the event, Suniel drew parallels between the India-Pakistan rivalry and the iconic Ashes series contested between Australia and England.

Suneil said in the event, "Main chahunga ke Pakistan Sri Lanka mein aake khele… Na khelne se kya ho jata hai… Ek bahut khoobsurat rivalry hai India aur Pakistan ki, jaise Ashes ki rivalry hai Australia aur England ki (I want Pakistan to come to Sri Lanka and play against India. The India and Pakistan teams have a beautiful rivalry just like the Ashes between Australia and England)."

The actor also sent out a message of encouragement to Team India, expressing confidence in their current form. Sharing his wishes, Suniel said, “Wish yehi hai ke jaise khelte aa rahe ho waise hi khele bas waise hi khelenge toh jeetenege (The only wish is that I hope they continue to play the way they have been playing. If they play like that, they will win).”

Also read: Jai OTT Release Date: When and where to watch Roopesh Shetty–Suniel Shetty’s Kannada-Tulu film

Meanwhile, the Government of Pakistan has stated that the men’s team will not take the field against Suryakumar Yadav-led Team India, following developments related to Bangladesh and the ICC’s last-minute replacement of the side with Scotland. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not yet formally communicated its position to the ICC.

Adding to the developments, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has reportedly written to the PCB, urging it to reconsider its stance. SLC has warned that the cancellation of the India-Pakistan match could result in significant financial losses, as the fixture was slated to be played in Colombo.