New Delhi: The Indian team remained unfazed even as Pakistan announced it will boycott the marquee clash between the two sides in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate revealed on Tuesday. Doeschate said India were prepared for the game despite the uncertainty surrounding the fixture.
Doeschate’s comments came during the pre-match presser ahead of India’s second group-stage clash against Namibia in New Delhi on Thursday, February 12. The assistant coach was asked for his reaction after the Pakistan government withdrew the boycott of the marquee clash on Monday.
Doeschate revealed the Indian team treated the situation as status quo unless they were told otherwise. “We treated it as status quo until told otherwise. We assumed we were going to play. We try to stay clear of politics and focus purely on cricket,” said the India assistant coach in the pre-match presser.
Following a meeting between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and ICC officials in Lahore on Sunday, the Pakistan government reversed the boycott call, directing the team to take the field in their clash against India on February 15. India and Pakistan are scheduled to lock horns in a group-stage clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Speaking about the game, Doeschate said it will be a challenge for India as they will have to travel to Colombo, where Pakistan are stationed since the start of the tournament. However, the assistant coach expressed confidence that Suryakumar Yadav & Co. will bring their best on the day.
“Going to Colombo will be a challenge, especially as Pakistan have been there for a couple of weeks, but we’re fully focused on bringing our best game,” said Doeschate.
How Pakistan made U-turn on boycott call
The Pakistan government announced earlier this month that it has directed the PCB to boycott Pakistan’s clash against India in the T20 World Cup 2026. The decision came in solidarity with Bangladesh, who were replaced by Scotland in the tournament by the ICC after refusing to travel to India for their matches, citing security reasons.
The Pakistan government’s announcement came after PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi publicly expressed support for Bangladesh while criticising ICC for its double standards. A series of discussions and talks followed as ICC urged Pakistan to reverse the boycott decision and agree to an amicable solution. ICC’s deputy chairman Imran Khawaja met Naqvi and other PCB officials in a meeting in Lahore on Sunday.
The meeting was also attended by Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul. Fowllowing the meeting, ICC agreed to not penalise Bangladesh for bocyotting the T20 World Cup, while the Pakistan government confirmed that Pakistan team will play against India in the much-awaited clash between the two sides on February 15.