USA pacer Saurabh Netravalkar stayed away from the India-Pakistan debate, insisting the growing tension around the rivalry never seeped into the US dressing room. The left-hander said the USA camp remains focused only on cricket as the 2026 T20 World Cup begins.
As India-Pakistan clashes are increasingly shaped by off-field disputes, Team USA stands out as a rare mix of players of Indian and Pakistani descent sharing the same badge. He spoke at a pre-match press conference in the US they opened the World Cup against India at the Wankhede Stadium on 7 February, Netravalkar said that such issues are simply not discussed in the group.
“Yes, we have players from all parts of the world. We bond and unite because of our love for the game. And no, I don’t think we have ever discussed India-Pakistan issues with each other. We are all proud to play for the USA,” he said.
Featuring India clash a chance for a positive start to the tournament, Netravalkar also spoke about the challenge of facing the hosts in their own backyard and admitted that the Americans remain the underdogs, but not without conviction.
“We’re probably no stranger to them, but there’s quite a few videos around, so I think they’d do their homework. We’ve done our homework, too,” he said, calling it an “oddness contest” in preparation.
“They are one of the best teams in the world, but the format itself has a certain luck factor. If the right guys build the right partnership or we get those few key moments, then we can fight well,” he added.
Will India vs Pakistan match take place in T20 WC 2026?
However, the background remains complicated. This was announced by Pakistan on Sunday that while they will participate in the tournament, they will boycott their group clash with India on February 15 in Colombo, citing solidarity with Bangladesh after the ICC replaced them with Scotland.
The ICC reacted strongly, warning that selective participation undermined the principles of the global tournament. With the India-Pakistan match rated as cricket’s biggest commercial draw, its eventual absence could cause heavy losses to broadcasters and sponsors.
To start the World Cup, India will face the USA in Mumbai, while Pakistan will take on the Netherlands in Colombo. Still, uncertainty still hangs over whether the sport’s most watched rivalry will actually take place on February 15.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 7, 2026