Rivalry colours: Local vendors have set up shop in India-Pakistan jerseys outside Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium ahead of the big clash. (Photo/TimesofIndia.com) TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: Saif, a fourth division cricketer from Bengaluru, booked his flights, hotel and match tickets two months in advance. He even landed in the Sri Lankan capital three days before the match.“India is no match for Pakistan. Inshallah we will beat them,” a jubilant Saif told TimesofIndia.com on Sunday.Saif is among the 18,000 Indian fans who traveled from India to watch the much-anticipated India-Pakistan match.Also See: IND vs PAK Live Score, T20 World Cup 2026Then there’s Mohammad Infaz, a tuk-tuk driver in Colombo who speaks fluent Hindi and echoes sentiments similar to Saif’s.“India is too strong. I think it will be a one-sided affair. Itna khatarnaak Indian team kabhi nahi dekha (This is the strongest Indian team I have ever seen). In T20 anything can happen on any given day but I feel India will win,” he says while driving to the R Premadasa Stadium with this reporter. Meanwhile, Muhammad Usama, who has traveled from Lahore and is among the 12,000 Pakistani fans, carries a glimmer of hope.“We have never done well against India in the World Cup. But this time I feel we have a better edge because we know the conditions better,” says Usama.The draw will take place at 6:30 pm local time and IST, but fans from both countries started lining up as early as 1 pm. All stadium gates will open to the public at 3:00 p.m. A Sri Lanka Cricket official confirmed to TimesofIndia.com that all the tickets have been sold out.Around 2,000 police and nearly 600 soldiers were deployed to maintain security and regulate traffic at the match. Local newspaper Sri Lanka Mirror reported that India’s RAW news agency, Indian security personnel as well as private security officers assigned to the players arrived in Colombo to ensure security for the Indian players and spectators. It is also learned that Pakistan’s security and intelligence agencies have reached Colombo to coordinate and assist with security measures.Prasanna, who runs an Airbnb on Havelock Road, complains that he did not get a match ticket for his die-hard fan Hardik Pandya.“No tickets for locals,” he laughs. “We are here only to extend hospitality to our Indian and Pakistani friends.Ryan de Silva, an avid Mumbai Indians fan who also rides a tuk tuk, says he also wanted to see Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah in action.“I have been trying for a month to get a ticket to see my boys from Mumbai in action but no luck,” says de Silva, a Lasith Malinga fan. After so much build-up, a battle is set between the two bitter rivals and both captains admitted in their pre-match press conferences that it is about much more than just a game.“If you play any game, there’s always pressure. When you play India-Pakistan, it’s more about the opportunity. No matter how much you say it’s just another game, in the back of your mind you know which game you’re playing,” Suryakumar Yadav said.Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha echoed similar sentiments. “This game between India and Pakistan has always been a big game and will remain so in the future.In his column for The Times, former England captain Michael Atherton described the India-Pakistan contest as a “toxic and politicized spectacle”.Atherton argued that the match had become too big to fail, supporting cricket’s fragile global economy even as it served as a proxy for political point-scoring.Still, his perspective comes with privilege. Ask the vendors outside the R Premadasa Stadium selling flags, cafe owners or tuk tuk drivers who have been waiting for this match since the schedule was announced.“Today I earn more than ten times what I earn in a month,” says the 55-year-old shirt seller outside the stadium.The India-Pakistan game will always matter. Come seven hours before the first ball and you’ll understand why. This device is not for the faint of heart. Fasten your seat belt and enjoy the ride.
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