Pakistan’s decision to boycott India in the T20 World Cup 2026 has raised concerns of a massive financial loss for Indian broadcasters. According to reports, the Pakistan government’s announcement of not playing matches against India in the upcoming tournament has put Indian broadcasters at risk of heavy financial losses.
Sources claim that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may suffer an immediate loss of approximately Rs 200 crore due to this decision. The Pakistan team is part of Group A, which includes India, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States, and will play all its matches in Sri Lanka, which is also a co-host of the tournament along with India.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that the Pakistan cricket team has arrived in Colombo for the tournament, but the traditional arch-rivals, Pakistan and India, will not face each other this time. The Pakistani team will play its first match against the Netherlands on February 7, followed by matches against the United States on February 10 and Namibia on February 18.
The match between India and Pakistan is considered the most lucrative in the tournament, generating huge revenue from broadcasting rights, sponsorship deals, and advertisements. According to a report, a single Pakistan-India T20 match can fetch around $500 million, which translates to approximately Rs 45,000 crore in Indian rupees.
The report also states that the cost of a 10-second advertising slot during the Pakistan-India match can range from Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 40 crore, which is significantly higher than other major Indian matches, including knock-out matches.
This raises questions about the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) impartiality, independence, and fairness in treating all member countries equally. Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi has called on the ICC to prove its neutrality and fairness by taking practical decisions rather than just issuing statements.
In case of the boycott, the Indian broadcaster, who holds the broadcasting rights, is expected to suffer the most significant financial loss. According to estimates, the revenue from advertising alone could have reached around Rs 300 crore from a single match.
Former Pakistani cricketer Rashed Latif has pointed out that the tournament has already seen massive corporate investment, with the Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s media group investing around $900 million and other international investors investing around $600 million.
When the market is disrupted to this extent, the effects do not remain limited to a single broadcaster. India is affected, the BCCI is affected, and ultimately, the ICC is affected. The ICC Under-19 World Cup was won by India, and the Asian Under-21 Snooker Championship was played between Pakistan’s Aslam Ramzan and Iran’s Shahin Sabzi in Qatar.
In related news, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board has written to the Pakistan Cricket Board, expressing concerns that the boycott may affect Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, as fans have canceled hotel bookings in anticipation of the match. Former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik has said that the cricket season is at its peak, and the issue of selection is also at hand.
Additionally, the Punjab government has announced the cancellation of all its events and functions in solidarity with the victims of the Islamabad bombing. The Inspector General of Police (IG) of Islamabad, along with Alama Bashir Hussain Ammi, has expressed solidarity with the families of the victims.
