IND vs PAK: How Pakistan's U-Turn saved millions at T20 World Cup 2026?

The IND vs PAK match will take place on February 15 at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Pakistan have taken a U-turn on their decision to boycott the clash against India in the T20 World Cup 2026. After a meeting between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in Lahore, the matter was resolved through dialogue.

Earlier, the Government of Pakistan allowed their players to participate in the tournament. However, they denied permission to play against India in the first round. The India vs Pakistan match is scheduled to take place on February 15 at R Premadasa Stadium in Lahore.

However, the India vs Pakistan game is a crucial game of the tournament due to its high viewership. Therefore, it generates a lot of revenue for broadcasters.

Moreover, ICC also earn huge revenues from broadcasting rights for this clash. The cancellation of the encounter could have resulted in big financial losses for them.

ICC saves $174 million after Pakistan agrees to play against India: Reports

According to the reports, the global cricket body has saved $174 million after Pakistan agreed to play against India. The major share of this revenue comes from broadcasting partners.

For instance, JioStar, which holds the broadcasting rights for ICC events in India for the 2024-27 cycle, paid $3.04 billion for the broadcasting rights. The India vs Pakistan matches contribute over 40% of the total revenues.

For the T20I World Cup 2026, JioStar and Star Sports India are paying the ICC approximately $911 million for 55 matches. The combined broadcasters for the rest of the world are paying about $60.80 million. Hence, each match is roughly valued at $16.50 million.

The broadcasters would have incurred huge losses through advertising revenues. Matches between India and Pakistan typically generate $60 million in TV advertising alone. The ad slots for this fixture cost about INR 25 to 40 lakh per 10 seconds. This boycott could have put JioStar at risk of $24-36 million in advertising revenue.

The loss would have also included damages related to gate receipts and sponsorships. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the hosts of the match, could have incurred losses of $ 2.9 crore from stadium ticket sales.

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