The latest drama of Pakistan’s boycott of India in the T20 World Cup has ended exactly where most people thought it would, with a twist and a flood of memes.
As soon as Pakistan confirmed that they would face India in Colombo on February 15, fans jumped on social media with classic “told you so” energy. Some have even joked that Pakistan’s problems with India are so complex that “not even therapists can solve them”.
The India vs Pakistan match was then briefly in doubt Pakistan has threatened a boycott in solidarity with Bangladeshwhich was replaced by Scotland due to security concerns. But after a longer meeting comprising the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Pakistani government quietly deflected the threat.
And once it was, the trolling began.
Much of the online heat was directed at PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with users mocking the constant reversals in Pakistan’s decision-making. The optics were just too good for the internet to ignore: the boycott announcement, a week of noise, and then the inevitable turnaround from PCB.
After the meeting in Lahore, Naqvi briefed Sharif on what was discussed during the talks and soon after, the Pakistan government confirmed through its official social media account that the team would take the field against India as scheduled.
Sharif said the turnaround was influenced by requests from “friendly countries”, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates, along with results achieved through discussions with ICC officials.
Sources told India Today that Pakistan also arrived at the meeting with a wish list. They pushed for India to be encouraged to resume bilateral cricket, mooted the idea of a tri-series involving India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and even suggested a tour of India in Bangladesh later this year.
The ICC rejected these proposals and reiterated that bilateral planning was outside its jurisdiction.
In the end, cricket’s greatest rivalry remained where it always was, firmly on the calendar. But for fans, the real fun came before it even started rolling.
Pakistan’s boycott threat may have grabbed the headlines, but the U-turn was the part that fooled absolutely no one.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 10, 2026