Pakistan’s determination to play the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2026 match in opposition to arch-rival India reportedly saved $174 million for the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC), in response to Indian media.
The estimated financial savings cowl broadcasters’ revenues, gate receipts, and varied sponsorship offers that may have been misplaced if the match had been cancelled.
Indian media additionally reported that the revival of the match had a right away influence on journey and tourism. Airfares for flights between Mumbai and Colombo surged, with ticket costs rising from INR10,000 to INR60,000.
The event adopted the federal authorities’s announcement on Monday, confirming that Pakistan will play its scheduled match in opposition to India on February 15 in Colombo.
“The federal government of Pakistan has reviewed the formal requests prolonged to the PCB by the BCB, in addition to the supporting communications from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and different member nations,” learn a press release issued by the federal government.
The lodge business in Colombo welcomed the choice, anticipating elevated bookings and enterprise from visiting cricket followers.
Nevertheless, the announcement additionally prompted confusion amongst some followers who had beforehand cancelled lodge reservations or boycotted the Pakistan match. Many at the moment are contacting inns to rebook or inquire about refund insurance policies, whereas others search clarification on ticket refunds for the Pakistan-India encounter.
For the unversed, Pakistan had initially boycotted the India conflict following the BCCI-BCB saga because the tensions flared between the cricket boards of Bangladesh and India after Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the route of the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI), sparking outrage in Dhaka.
Later, the BCB requested the ICC to shift its matches exterior India, however the worldwide cricket physique rejected the plea.
Following the BCB’s agency stance, the ICC changed Bangladesh with Scotland within the match, saying it was not possible to alter the schedule so near the February 7 begin of the occasion.
The PCB, nonetheless, reacted strongly to the ICC’s determination and as a substitute determined to boycott its India match over bias in opposition to Bangladesh.
