India in Mumbai, Pakistan in Colombo – What Happens If They Meet in the T20 World Cup Semis?

India’s 2007 final victory marks the last time these rivals met in a T20 World Cup knockout fixture, where the Men in Blue secured the title.

India in Mumbai, Pakistan in Colombo – What Happens If They Meet in the T20 World Cup Semis?

India and Pakistan may face each other in the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final. (via NDTV Sports)

In Short
  • A hybrid arrangement for the 2026 T20 World Cup allows India and Pakistan to avoid playing in each other's territories.
  • India topped Group A with eight points, defeating Pakistan by 61 runs in their group match.
  • If they meet in the semi-finals, the match will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, as a neutral venue.

A hybrid arrangement, designed for India and Pakistan, has already set the course for the knock-outs of the 2026 T20 World Cup. There is a possibility that the two teams could meet in the semi-finals, with the ICC making preparations for various outcomes across India and Sri Lanka.

India and Pakistan have qualified from Group A of the T20 World Cup, with the Men in Blue finishing on top with eight points, while their rivals finished with six points. They faced off against each other on Feb 15, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. It produced an unsurprising result, as India secured a commanding 61-run victory, powered by a POTM 77-run knock by Ishan Kishan, and incisive bowling displays from Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. 

The win helped the Indian team secure a Super Eight spot, while Pakistan had to win against Namibia to make it through. Under the Super Eights format, the eight remaining teams have been separated into two groups, G1 and G2. While India has been grouped alongside Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the West Indies, Pakistan finds itself with England, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. This grouping was entirely determined by a pre-seeding formula that assigned team positions based on their existing rankings.

Should the Super Eight standings lead to a semi-final clash between India and Pakistan, it will then be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which will act as a neutral venue for the two disputing sides. The ICC, BCCI and PCB, had in December 2024, agreed to a hybrid arrangement, confirming that neither team will travel to the other’s territory for ICC events, primarily due to the strained geo-political relations.

In a scenario where the two teams are not required to face each other, India’s semi-final fixture is likely to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, while Pakistan’s semi-final fixture will be hosted at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

If Pakistan does not qualify, the two semi-finals will proceed as initially planned, in Kolkata and Mumbai. Should Pakistan advance to the final, the match will be relocated to Colombo, instead of being held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

A similar model was also in place during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, which was hosted by Pakistan. The Indian team, after refusing to travel to Pakistan for security reasons, played all of its matches at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the UAE. 

Mohammad Amir wagers against India: Says title-holders won’t reach T20 World Cup semis

Just days after calling Indian opener Abhishek Sharma a ‘blind slogger’, former Pakistani pacer Mohammad Amir has stirred controversy once again. The 33-year-old boldly suggested that the Men in Blue would fail to make it to the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup. 

Mohammad Amir Team India prediction
Mohammad Amir boldy claimed that India would not make it to the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup. (via Hindustan Times)

No defending champion has ever won the T20 World Cup, a jinx that the Indian team is willing to break. However, India’s road to the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 WC is a tough one, as they have been placed in Group 1 of the Super Eight stages alongside four other table-toppers, Zimbabwe, South Africa ,and West Indies. Despite remaining unbeaten, the Indian T20I team has faced issues with batting collapses.

India’s batting woes were clearly pointed out by Amir, who noted that the team struggled in the middle-overs against the USA, Namibia, and the Netherlands. The 33-year-old pointed to the challenge that the team faces, exclaiming that the pressure will keep rising. Amir consequently suggested that India might be eliminated from the Super Eights, tipping South Africa and the West Indies to qualify instead. He said on a YouTube show:

Except for the Pakistan match, the Indian batting line-up collapsed in every game. The way South Africa and the West Indies are playing, they can beat any team.

On Abhishek Sharma, Amir’s prediction seems to have gone viral, after the left-hander recorded three successive ducks. The 25-year-old is yet to open his account in the T20 WC, despite being ranked the no.1 T20I batter in the world.

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