- Title: Emotions run high as Indian, Pakistani fans gear up for T20 clash in Colombo
- Date: 15th February 2026
- Summary: COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (FEBRUARY 15, 2026) (ANI - No use India) INDIAN AND PAKISTAN JERSEYS ON DISPLAY VARIOUS OF INDIAN AND PAKISTAN CAPS ON DISPLAY PROMOTIONAL INDIAN FLAGS INDIAN AND PAKISTAN FLAGS MAN DRAPED WITH INDIAN FLAG WALKING ON ROAD/INDIAN AND PAKISTAN JERSEYS ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) INDIAN CRICKET FAN, SAIF, SAYING: "I have been here since 11 o'clock (0530
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- Keywords: Colombo India Pakistan Sri Lanka Suryakumar Yadav cricket cricket fever fans fire ritual match prayers rival team
- Location: COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
- City: COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
- Country: Sri Lanka
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Cricket,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001NUWQS0F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Colombo buzzed with colour, chants and national flags on Sunday (February 15) as Indian and Pakistani fans gathered ahead of their high-stakes T20 World Cup clash, turning streets around the stadium into a carnival of cricketing emotion.
With bilateral cricket a casualty of their fraught relations, emotions run high whenever the bitter neighbours lock horns in multi-team events at neutral venues.
Supporters from both sides, many travelling across borders, queued early outside the venue, wearing team jerseys, waving flags and getting faces and arms painted in national colours as anticipation built hours before the first ball.
Pakistan decided to boycott the Group A contest against India in solidarity with Bangladesh, jeopardising a lucrative fixture that sits at the intersection of sport, commerce, and geopolitics but later pulled back after the International Cricket Council brokered a compromise.
India enters the contest with a dominant record against Pakistan in World Cups across formats, an imbalance the Pakistani side will be keen to address as the rivalry renews on the global stage. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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