Despite being a one-sided affair of late, cricket’s biggest rivalry will take center stage again as India take on Pakistan in Group A at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 15.
So far, it’s all been talked about. Not necessarily from players, but from the top in sports, politics and more. But the time for talking is over now and it’s time to talk on the pitch. Both teams come into this game unbeaten so far, and while both India and Pakistan look set to head into the Super 8s, they won’t be taking this game lightly.
Over the last few matches between these two teams, India have been completely dominant for the most part. Despite brief hiccups, the Men in Blue prevailed against their next-door neighbours.
IND vs PAK: WHAT DID SURYAKUMAR YADAV SAY?
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav had a witty reply when asked about the Pakistan captain wanting Abhishek Sharma to play: “If he wants to play, then we will play him tomorrow. Done.”
On the pressure of the India-Pakistan matches, Surya was candid. “It’s more about the opportunity. It’s a big platform,” he said, acknowledging that “no matter how much you say it’s just another game,” players know what’s at stake. “We don’t play them regularly,” he added, but emphasized that the team’s approach is to “keep things simple.”
Addressing Pakistani occultist Usman Tariq and his unusual actionsSurya showed confidence: “We can’t just give in to him. We practice with similar types of bowlers and similar actions.”
On picking a team with more spin and pace options, Surya admitted it was a “headache” and “very difficult to decide which fast bowler to play” given the quality of bowlers like Bumrah, Arshdeep and Siraj competing for places.
IND vs PAK: WHAT DID SALMAN ALI AGHA SAY?
representing Pakistan captain, Salman Ali Agha, played down the buzz surrounding mystery spinner Usman Tariq before the sensational clash of IND vs PAK.
“You have made Usman Tariq so big. For us, as there are 15 players, Usman is there,” he said, while acknowledging the spinner as “a trump card for us.”
On the controversy surrounding Tariq’s bowling action, Salman dismissively said, “He is not interested in these things. Ever since he started cricket, there have been these talks about him.”
Dealing with management uncertainty and boycott threats, Salman remained calm: “We were ready for anything, whether we were going to play or not.”
He called for better spirits given the lack of handshakes during the Asia Cup: “The game should be played the same way it has been played since the beginning of cricket.”
IND vs PAK: TEAM NEWS
For the defending champions, hard-hitting signing Abhishek Sharma, who missed the recent game against Namibia after being hospitalized due to illness and subsequently released, will be in the spotlight. The good news is that he has joined the squad and was spotted training with the squad during their pre-match cleanup.
Another interesting aspect to watch out for is whether India might drop Arshdeep Singh to accommodate a specialist spinner in Kuldeep Yadav or an all-rounder like Washington Sundar. There is a view that the rotation could be right considering the recent performances and the options are open for the Indian team. Image: PTI
However, India has a bit of a conundrum in this regard. In Kuldeep Yadav, India has a left-arm wrist specialist who knows the conditions in Colombo given his extensive international experience. But Washington Sundar, despite being a capable bowler, offers more with the bat when required and his addition could also allow the Indian batting unit to continue playing fearlessly and take on the Pakistani bowlers.
According to a PTI report, Pakistan may be looking to make a few changes, shifting from their spin attack to a relatively safer and more diverse one, giving them plenty of alternatives. From a five-man spin unit, it could be a more balanced combination of two spinners and two pacers.
That means one of the all-rounders between Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz and Faheeh Ashraf could be on the bench. The report suggests that Nawaz could be the one on the bench purely for the back-to-back matches, given that India have a heavily left-handed batting unit, which is not an ideal match for an orthodox left-arm bowler. Image: PTI
But the decision is not set in stone; management wants to take another look at the pitch and take weather conditions into account before making the final call.
IND vs PAK: COMPLETE FOURS
Complete India Squad: Ishan Kishan (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(C), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel (VC), Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Kuldeep Washington Siraj, Mohamad
Complete Pakistan Squad: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha (C), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Khan (WK), Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza (WKwaja Nafay)
IND vs PAK: PREDICTED XI
India’s Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel (VC), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy
Pakistan Probable XI: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha (C), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (WK), Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmad, Usman Tariq, Salman Mirza
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– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
February 15, 2026