Indian broadcasters are expected to face major financial losses after Pakistan announced it will boycott its T20 World Cup 2026 match against arch-rivals India.
Pakistan, placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA, will play all its matches in Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the tournament with India.
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The Green Shirts will open the tournament against the Netherlands on February 7, take on the USA on February 10, and face Namibia on February 18.
However, the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash on February 15 is now off the schedule for Pakistan.
The India-Pakistan fixture is widely considered the most commercially valuable match of the tournament, driving broadcast revenues, sponsorship deals, advertising premiums, and ticket sales.
According to Indian media reports, the commercial value of a single India-Pakistan T20 match is estimated at around $500 million (approximately INR 45,000 crore), taking into account broadcast rights, advertising, sponsorship activations, ticket sales, and related commercial activity.
Advertising slots during the match reportedly cost between INR 25 lakh and INR 40 lakh for just 10 seconds, far higher than India’s knockout matches against other top teams.
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The immediate financial impact will be felt by the official broadcast rights holder, with advertising revenue from the India-Pakistan clash alone projected at around INR 300 crore.
Reports also suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could face an estimated immediate loss of approximately INR 200 crore.
Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif highlighted the wider implications, noting that major corporate investments have already been committed to the tournament.
He added, “When a market of this size is shaken, the impact is not limited to one broadcaster. India is affected, the BCCI is affected and ultimately the ICC is also affected.”
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Latif also pointed out that Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s media group has invested around $900 million in the World Cup, while the rest of the world combined has contributed approximately $600 million, underlining the huge financial stakes tied to Pakistan’s participation.
