India registered a comfortable win against Pakistan by 61 runs in Colombo in T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday. This was Men in Blue’s third consecutive win in the tournament taking them into the Super 8 stage. Pakistan, meanwhile, must defeat Namibia to secure qualification.
But the bigger question is, can India and Pakistan play each other again in this edition?
The answer is YES.
The tournament features 20 teams divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group advance to the Super 8 stage. Pakistan, meanwhile, must defeat Namibia to secure qualification.
The Super 8 stage will then be divided into two groups– Group 1 and Group 2. The teams will play each other in a round-robin format within their respective groups and the top two sides from both will march ahead into the semis.
What are the Pre-Seedings?
The top eight ranked T20I sides were pre-seeded for the Super 8s ahead of the tournament in anticipation of qualification.
Under the ICC’s pre-seeding system: India were designated X1, England Y1, Australia X2, New Zealand Y2, West Indies X3, Pakistan Y3, South Africa X4 and Sri Lanka Y4.
If the seeded teams qualify for the Super 8s then here’s how the groups will look like.
Group 1 will comprise India, Australia, West Indies, and South Africa. Group 2 will have England, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. If any pre-seeded team fails to move ahead then the qualifying side from that group will take their slot.
When can India play Pakistan again?
India and Pakistan can’t meet in Super 8s as they have been put in separate groups under the pre-seeding arrangement.
But a semi-final meeting is a possibility. The top-placed team in Group 1 will lock horns with the second-placed in Group 2 while the topper of Group 2 play the second-placed in Group 1. A semi-final clash between the two sides is possible if one finishes first in its group and the other finishes second in the other group.
If both the sides conclude the Super 8 stage at the helm of the table in their respective groups then there is also a possibility of the two sides meeting in a final. If they both end as table-toppers then they won’t play each other in the semis. The final will be possible if both the teams win their respective semi-final matches.
The two teams have played against each other in a T20 World Cup final only back in 2007. The MS Dhoni-led side defeated Pakistan in the title clash to lift the trophy.
