Pakistan qualification chances could heavily depend on India's match.
Pakistan made their 10th appearance as they begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on February 7. They won the competition in 2009 and were runners-up in 2007 and 2022, but in 2024, they were eliminated in the group stage. Can Pakistan qualify for Super 8 will be the big question heading to the tournament.
Coming into the World Cup, Pakistan have been in good form as they recently defeated Australia 3-0 in a T20I series at home. Their 15-member squad looks balanced, and with these recent performances, they will be hoping for better results to strengthen Pakistan qualification chances.
Pakistan is placed in Group A alongside the Netherlands, the USA, India, and Namibia.
Pakistan began their T20 World Cup campaign with a nervy three-wicket win against the Netherlands. The match could have gone either way, but Faheem Ashraf’s 25 not out off nine balls helped Pakistan secure their first victory of the tournament.
Pakistan had lost to the USA in the previous edition, making this clash an all-important game. Sahibzada Farhan’s half-century, followed by Usman Tariq’s three-wicket haul helped the Men in Green win over America.
This iss expected to be one of Pakistan’s toughest matches, but they have decided to boycott and not play against India.
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As a result, India will get the two points, and since Pakistan are forfeiting the match, their net run rate will also be badly affected.
Pakistan will finish their group stage by playing Namibia on February 18. This is another match they cannot afford to lose, and they will also hope that rain does not interrupt the game.
Before this match, Pakistan will know exactly what they need to do to qualify, but for them, it will be a must-win match. The only time these two teams faced each other was in the 2022 edition, where Pakistan defeated Namibia by 45 runs.
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Pakistan qualification chances will take a major hit if they decide not to play against India, which means they will have only three matches to play in the group stage. They must get maximum points from these games, as boycotting the India match will result in a loss and also hurt their net run rate.
Winning all three of their remaining matches will guarantee Pakistan’s qualification, and they have started well by winning their first match against the Netherlands. Excluding the India game, Pakistan will need to win both of their matches against the USA and Namibia to stay on track for qualification.
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | No Result | Points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAK | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +0.932 |
| IND | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +1.450 |
| NED | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +0.356 |
| NAM | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -1.033 |
| USA | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -1.525 |
Given their recent form and Pakistan qualification chances, they should reach the Super 8 stage. With India likely to top the group, they need to win at their other three games.
Best case scenario: After boycotting the India match, Pakistan need to win all three of their remaining games, as they cannot play four matches.
Worst case scenario: Pakistan lose one match or have a game abandoned, then they will have to depend on other results.
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