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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday strongly condemned Pakistan's decision to boycott their February 15 ICC T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage clash against India, terming it "against the sportsmanship of any sport."
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 final at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara, Joint Secretary of BCCI, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, called the decision "very wrong" and expressed confidence that the International Cricket Council (ICC) would take strict action. "This is against the sportsmanship of any sport. This is a very wrong decision by Pakistan. I am sure the ICC will take very strict action, and we will wait for the ICC's decision," Bhatia said. When asked about the possible measures the ICC could take against Pakistan, he added, "We can't discuss that here, but ICC is going to take decisive action for sure." Earlier on Thursday, India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav echoed the BCCI's stance, assuring that the Indian team is fully prepared for the anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Speaking during the Captains' media briefing in Colombo, Suryakumar stressed that India's approach remains unchanged despite Pakistan's boycott. The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled from February 7 to March 8, with India opening their campaign against the USA on February 7, followed by a group-stage match against Namibia on February 12. Group A also features the Netherlands alongside Pakistan. The Indian squad for the tournament includes captain Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Rinku Singh. (ANI)
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