T20 WC 2026: BCCI VP Shukla terms negotiations over Pakistan-India match a major success

2026-02-10 - 08:36

ISLAMABAD – Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice President Rajeev Shukla has termed the outcome of negotiations over the Pakistan–India match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 a major success. Expressing satisfaction over the end of uncertainty surrounding the high-profile fixture, Shukla said the decision reflected the priority given to cricket through mutual consensus. Speaking to Indian media, the BCCI vice president said he was pleased with the outcome of talks facilitated by the International Cricket Council (ICC), adding that all stakeholders agreed to a decision that served the interests of the game. He said the negotiations were supervised by the ICC chairman, while ICC representatives visited Lahore to hold discussions with officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), resulting in the resolution of the issue. Shukla said the ICC took effective steps to resolve the matter, calling it a significant success for the global cricket body. He thanked the ICC for bringing Pakistan to the negotiating table and said confirmation of the match on February 15 was welcome news. He added that Pakistan’s participation would help make the World Cup a successful event, describing the decision as a “win-win” situation for all parties, with the match going ahead and the tournament benefiting as a whole. Commenting on Bangladesh’s position, Shukla said it was also positive that the Bangladesh Cricket Board had received relief through the negotiations and that the BCB was satisfied with the outcome, having appreciated the ICC’s role. It may be mentioned here that that Pakistan has granted permission to the national cricket team to play its T20 World Cup match against India on February 15. T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan finally agree to play block-buster game against India