"Politics should not be played with sports:" AIUDF leader Rafiqul Islam on upcoming India-Pakistan match

Speaking to ANI, the AIUDF leader praised the Indian cricket team and expressed his hope for a stellar performance from the squad in the upcoming clash.

"...India should perform well... Through sports, relations between one country and another improve, and since these games are played at an international level, they should be played in good spirit... Politics should not be brought into it, and politics should not be played with sports, no matter which country it is... Our Indian players are good, they should play well. All countries should play together," said Rafiqul.

In addition to Rafiqul Islam, other opposition leaders expressed muted or critical reactions to the high-voltage clash. RJD MP Manoj Jha criticised the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match, saying it's a "funny situation" and raising concerns about playing it.

Speaking to ANI, he questioned the focus on handshakes amidst billions of rupees involved, especially after the Pahalgam attack. Jha stated, "Either play or not. Don't try to subscribe to either narrative through pretence or deception."

"I'll be blunt, we've created a very funny situation. If there are concerns, the choice is whether to play or not. They will play, and the media will focus on whether they shake hands. Isn't this funny? Isn't this an attempt to diminish the image of a huge country like India? I know billions of rupees are involved," he said.

Meanwhile, the high-voltage India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 match is scheduled to take place today, Sunday, 15 February 2026, at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 7 PM IST.

The match is happening despite Pakistan initially deciding to boycott, citing solidarity with Bangladesh. The ICC warned Pakistan of sanctions, leading to a U-turn.

Fans of both teams flocked to the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo even hours before the match.

An Indian fan, Kuldeep Singh, while speaking to ANI, said that he travelled from India out of excitement and is confident India will win, as they have in the past."The excitement has pulled me to come here all the way from India. We have full belief that India will win, like they always have in the past," he said.

But a Pakistani fan, on the other hand, warned that Pakistan will dominate India, citing historical head-to-head records and claiming India's overconfidence could cause their downfall.

"Pakistan fans will wash you away like a cyclone. Take a look at the complete history of India-Pakistan matches, and you will see who has dominated more. India's overconfidence will lead to its downfall," he said.

However, India has a dominant historical record against Pakistan in the T20 format, having won 13 of 16 T20I encounters, including a 7-1 lead in T20 World Cup matches. (ANI)