T20 World Cup 2026: India and Pakistan Stay Perfect, Afghanistan Stun New Zealand in Thriller
Published Date: 15th Feb, 2026
February 15, 2026
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 continued to deliver high-stakes drama across India and Sri Lanka, with co-hosts India and Pakistan maintaining their perfect records in Group A while Afghanistan pulled off a stunning upset against New Zealand in Ahmedabad. The tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, has already produced several close contests and strong performances from both full members and Associate nations.
India crushed the United States by 29 runs in their Group A opener at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday. Batting first, the defending champions posted 161/9, powered by Virat Kohli's elegant 62 off 44 balls and Suryakumar Yadav's explosive 51 off 38. Jasprit Bumrah (3/18) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/22) then dismantled the USA reply as they finished on 132/8.
Pakistan also remained unbeaten, defeating the Netherlands by 6 wickets in Colombo. After restricting the Dutch to 149/7, Babar Azam (47*) and Mohammad Rizwan (38*) steered Pakistan home with 11 balls to spare.
In one of the biggest results so far, Afghanistan chased down 138 to beat New Zealand by 4 wickets in Ahmedabad. Rashid Khan starred with 2/24 and an unbeaten 28, while Ibrahim Zadran anchored the chase with 45.
Latest Group A Standings (after two matches each for India and Pakistan)
- India: 2 wins, 0 losses (4 points, NRR +1.45)
- Pakistan: 2 wins, 0 losses (4 points, NRR +0.92)
- USA: 0 wins, 2 losses (0 points)
- Netherlands: 0 wins, 2 losses (0 points)
- Namibia: yet to play
Other Recent Results
- England 168/5 beat Nepal 142/8 by 26 runs (Mumbai)
- West Indies 172/6 beat Scotland 158/9 by 14 runs (Kolkata)
Upcoming Key Fixtures (February 16–18)
- February 16: Namibia vs USA (Ahmedabad), India vs Netherlands (Mumbai)
- February 17: Pakistan vs Namibia (Colombo), West Indies vs Afghanistan (Kolkata)
- February 18: England vs Scotland (Chennai), New Zealand vs Nepal (Bengaluru)
The Super 8 stage begins February 22, with the final scheduled for March 8 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad (or R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo if Pakistan qualifies).
Broadcast Information
All matches are available globally through ICC broadcast partners. In India, coverage is on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar. Sri Lankan matches are shown on SLRC and digital platforms. Live scores, highlights, and full replays can be found on the official ICC website, ICC.tv (select territories), and the ICC mobile app.
With India and Pakistan unbeaten and Associate nations continuing to challenge, the 2026 T20 World Cup is shaping up as one of the most competitive editions yet. The group stage remains wide open, setting the scene for high-pressure clashes in the coming days.
Date: 15th Feb, 2026
