Team USA captain Monank Patel has spoken out about the atmosphere in his team’s locker room amid tensions between India and Pakistan. Most of the members of the U.S. team participating in the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup, which starts on February 7, are of Indian or Pakistani descent.

India has decided not to shake hands with Pakistan during the Asia Cup 2025 and will follow the same approach throughout the tournament. This stance is not limited to the top brass, the Indian emerging team, U19 team, and women’s team have also maintained their no-handshake policy against Pakistan.

Monank Patel opens up about sharing dressing room with Pakistani players

Monank Patel said the U.S. team remains very united despite having several players born in India and Pakistan. He said nationality does not matter within the team because they play for one country and have a common goal.

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“When you represent the United States, there are no Indians, no Pakistanis. Everybody represents this country and we’ve been playing together for a long time,” Monank Patel explain.

“We are very close friends, very close teammates and our goal is to give our best and stay dedicated. These are our teammates. There are no Indians, no Pakistanis in cricket,” he added.

Video | Team USA captain Monank Patel talks about the camaraderie between India and Pakistan: “When you represent Team USA, there are no Indians and there are no Pakistanis. Everybody represents the country and we have been playing together for a long time. We are very close friends, very close teammates, our… pic.twitter.com/DfcZZroAS9

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 31, 2026

Pakistan to play T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka

BCCI, PCB and ICC had earlier agreed that all India-Pakistan matches in the ICC tournament till 2027 will be played at neutral venues. This decision was taken to avoid political issues and ensure smooth scheduling of global events.

The 2026 T20 World Cup will begin on February 7. Pakistan is expected to take a final decision on the tournament on Monday. The Men in Green plan to play all their matches in Sri Lanka as they have already declined to play in India in advance.

Bangladesh have refused to participate in the tournament in India after fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2026 squad. BCB requested that their match be moved to Sri Lanka, but the ICC rejected the request and changed the venue to Scotland.

USA announces 15-man squad for 2026 T20 World Cup

Team USA has announced its 15-man roster for the World Cup, with Monank Patel serving as captain. Ten contestants have been retained for the 2024 edition, including Jessy Singh, Andries Gous, Milind Kumar, Shayan Jahangir, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Nethravalkar and Ali Khan.

The biggest omission is Aaron Jones, one of the team’s most consistent players in 2024. The 31-year-old was ruled out after being accused of breaching the International Cricket Council and West Indies Cricket anti-corruption regulations.

The United States is in Group A with India, Pakistan, Netherlands and Namibia. They will face hosts India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, followed by games against Pakistan, Netherlands and Namibia.

Also read: Pakistan announces final verdict on participation in 2026 T20 World Cup, but with a twist