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Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma has criticised Pakistan for taking a U-turn to play against India in the T20 World Cup after an earlier announcement to boycott the much-anticipated match, terming it a "drama" of the neighbouring country.
Speaking to ANI, Sharma said Pakistan's stance was merely a drama, adding that they realised the losses of not playing India and calling such behaviour typical of Pakistan. "This was Pakistan's drama, which is what they always do. They supported Bangladesh, then pushed them aside, and now they have realised how much they will lose if they don't play against India. So, these kinds of things are expected from Pakistan," Rajmukar Sharma said. This comes after the Government of Pakistan, on Monday, directed their national cricket team to take the field on February 15, for their scheduled fixture against the defending champions, India, in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The decision came after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, according to a statement by the Pakistan Government, briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the outcomes of high-level talks between the PCB, the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Notably, Pakistan had previously decided to boycott their group-stage World Cup match against arch-rivals India in support of Bangladesh, who were expelled from the tournament after the ICC rejected their request to shift match venues outside India over "security concerns". Pakistan's Prime Minister also spoke with Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss the country's support during "challenging times." Following discussions with the ICC and other countries, Pakistan's government has directed its cricket team to play the T20 World Cup match against India. "This evening, the Prime Minister held a telephone call with H.E. Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The President of Sri Lanka, during their warm and friendly conversation, recalled that Pakistan and Sri Lanka had always stood shoulder to shoulder, especially during challenging times. The Sri Lankan President requested the Prime Minister to accord serious consideration to resolving the current impasse amicably. In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions as well as the request of friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for its scheduled fixture in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup," an official statement from Goverment of Pakistan stated. "Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday formally briefed by the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, regarding the outcomes of high-level deliberations held between the PCB representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)," the statement added. After ICC held a meeting with the PCB and the BCB at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday to discuss Pakistan's decision to boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 match with India in Colombo, BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul on Monday also urged Pakistan to play their February 15 ICC Men's T20 World Cup clash against India. Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the 2026 T20 World Cup, after their request to have all their matches played outside India could not be agreed upon by the ICC, which they put in place after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the squad following instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) amid concerns related to atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh. (ANI)
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