Team India assistant coach Ryan Ten Dushat shared his reaction to Pakistan’s decision to reverse their boycott stance. Doshat claimed that Indian cricketers knew that the match would be played as before.

Ahead of India’s next 2026 ICC T20 World Cup match against Namibia in Delhi on February 12, the assistant coach said that despite a lot of drama off the field, they feel India’s match against Pakistan will go on as scheduled.

Team India not surprised by Pakistan’s turnaround

Speaking to the media at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday, Ryan Ten Dushat said: “First of all, it’s great that the games are starting again. We never changed our preparations or our thoughts that the game wasn’t going to be played. We always had the impression that something would happen and we would play, so it didn’t really change the way we did things.”

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The former Netherlands international believes the much-anticipated match will benefit the team and he welcomed the decision as India will face a quality side.

“We got confirmation late yesterday. We’re delighted to have the chance to play against a good team again and it will be good for the team,” he added.

India vs Pakistan match on February 15

The 2026 India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup match will be played on February 15 at 7 pm at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Team India will have to travel to Sri Lanka for the tournament, which could be challenging for the team.

Ryan Ten Dushat said that facing Pakistan on Sri Lankan soil will be a very challenging task and the situation will be new and different for the men in blue than Pakistan. The Pakistan cricket team has been in Sri Lanka for about a few weeks now and they are sure to adapt well to the conditions here.

India’s daunting task

“Going to Colombo will be a challenge, especially with Pakistan having been there over the past few weeks, but our focus is on putting our best game forward next week,” the coach said.

He also made it clear that they had nothing to do with the politics around them. He and his team are purely focused on the game.

“We try to stay away from all politics. We understand the sentiment and history between the two countries but it is important for us to focus purely on cricket,” he said.

Both teams, India and Pakistan, have started their campaign for the 2026 T20 World Cup on a positive note. Pakistan won their first match against the Netherlands, while India defeated the United States in their respective first matches. The Mohsin Naqvi-led Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) softened its stance on the boycott after holding a joint meeting with the International Cricket Federation, the UAE and Bangladesh.

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