Estimated financial loss if Pakistan vs India T20 World Cup is not played
2026-02-02 - 05:06
ISLAMABAD – The Pakistani government has decided to skip the February 15 match against India in upcoming T20I World Cup 2026 in solidarity with Bangladesh. The highly anticipated Pakistan vs India T20 World Cup match, one of the most lucrative fixtures in world cricket, could result in significant financial losses in broadcast and advertising if it is not played as scheduled. Experts estimate that the forfeit could lead to a loss of up to $50 million in broadcast and advertising revenue alone, which would severely impact the tournament’s financials. According to Indian media, the advertisement rates for an India-Pakistan T20 match are some of the highest in the industry, with premiums ranging between Rs 25 lakh to Rs 40 lakh in Indian rupees per 10 seconds. This means that simply the loss of advertising revenue from the match could exceed Rs 200 crore Indian rupees, making it one of the most financially damaging forfeitures in cricket history. Who Can Potentially Replace Pakistan in World Cup If the International Cricket Council (ICC) decides to ban Pakistan from participating in the 2026 T20 World Cup, Uganda is expected to replace them. However, the decision would lead the massive financial losses to the ICC. Pakistan Decision on T20 World Cup In a post shared on micro-blogging platform X (former Twitter) on Sunday, the federal government has given a go-ahead to the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the mega event. However, the Pakistan cricket team has been stopped from playing the game against India. Though no reason has been given, the move is aimed at expressing solidarity with Bangladesh and recording a protest against the biased attitude of the International Cricket Council (ICC) when dealing with India and other member countries. “The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026; however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India”, reads