The clock might read 12.30am, but when India and Pakistan meet at a World Cup, sleep isn’t an option. The R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will host the latest chapter of cricket’s fiercest rivalry, and as always, it feels bigger than just two points on the table. Form, rankings and past results all take a back seat when these two walk out under lights.
Check out our preview and betting tips for the clash below and remember to support our site and help to keep our content free by signing up to one of our best sports betting sites.
T20 World Cup: India vs Pakistan Preview & Betting Tips
Colombo, Monday 16th February, 12:30am AEDT
India
Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.
India arrive with arguably the deepest squad in the tournament. There is power at the top through Abhishek and Kishan, control and innovation in the middle with Suryakumar and Tilak, and serious finishing muscle through Hardik and Rinku. The flexibility in this batting order is frightening - they can float players depending on match-ups and are comfortable switching gears mid-innings.
With the ball, they are equally versatile. Bumrah’s control in high-pressure overs is unmatched, Siraj offers aggression with the new ball, and the spin trio of Kuldeep, Varun and Axar gives them options against both right and left-handers. On Colombo’s surface, that variety could be decisive in the middle overs.
Pakistan
Squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.
Pakistan bring a squad that blends flair with volatility - and that is often when they are most dangerous. Babar Azam remains the fulcrum of their batting, capable of absorbing pressure and accelerating once set. Around him, Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman can take the game away in the powerplay, while Shadab and Nawaz provide middle-order flexibility.
Their real strength, however, may lie with the ball. Shaheen Shah Afridi with the new ball is always a threat in big games, Naseem Shah brings pace and hostility, and Abrar Ahmed’s wrist-spin adds mystery through the middle. If Pakistan can strike early and drag India into a scrap rather than a free-scoring contest, they are more than capable of flipping the script.
Match Prediction
These contests are rarely decided purely on paper, but if you break it down phase by phase, India just appear to have more avenues to win. Their batting runs deeper, their spin options are more varied for Colombo conditions, and they have multiple players who can take the game away in a five-over burst. Even if one or two of the top order misfire, there’s enough firepower and adaptability to recover.
Pakistan’s path to victory likely hinges on the first six overs. If Shaheen or Naseem can remove one of India’s aggressive openers early and force the middle order to rebuild rather than attack, the pressure shifts dramatically. Abrar and Shadab then become major factors through the middle overs. But if India navigate that early threat and set up a platform, their finishing power and death-bowling control - particularly through Bumrah - should tilt the balance. In a rivalry built on fine margins, India look slightly more complete across all three disciplines, and that depth could be the difference in what promises to be another tight chapter in this storied matchup.
Player Prop
Suryakumar is arguably the most consistent and impactful middle-order batter in T20 cricket right now. In recent T20Is (up to late 2025), he has averaged around the mid-30s and maintained an elite strike rate (often above 150), making him one of the few players who can both anchor an Indian innings and accelerate when needed. Against quality bowling attacks - including Pakistan’s varied seam and spin threats - he has repeatedly shown the ability to build an innings, rotate the strike and then unleash.
Suryakumar top IND runscorer
$4.25
