Is there a Reserve Day for India vs Pakistan match?

The blockbuster Group A clash between India and Pakistan at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is all set to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. However, ahead of the contest, many fans have wondered whether a reserve day is scheduled if rain washes out the contest.

India is set to take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their third Group A fixture of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. According to Sri Lanka’s Department of Meteorology, a low-pressure system is expected to develop over the southeastern Bay of Bengal around February 15. Weather forecasts suggest a 65% chance of rain during the day and heavy cloud cover over Colombo.

During match hours, with the game scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST, precipitation probability remains significant. AccuWeather has indicated chances as high as 93% at certain points. Although no main tournament match has been interrupted so far, warm-up fixtures in Colombo were affected. Notably, Pakistan’s warm-up game against Ireland earlier this month was abandoned without a toss due to rain.

Is there a Reserve Day for India vs Pakistan match?

Notably, there is no reserve day for group stage matches in the T20 World Cup 2026. As per tournament regulations, reserve days are allocated only for the semifinals and the final. Group stage and Super 8 matches must be completed on the scheduled day itself. If the weather intervenes, officials will attempt to complete the game by reducing overs where necessary.

For a T20I to produce a result, a minimum of five overs per team must be completed. If this threshold is not met due to persistent rain, the match will be declared abandoned. In such a case, both India and Pakistan will share one point each.

The ICC has built in additional time for knockout matches. Each semifinal will have 210 minutes of extra time (90 minutes on the scheduled day and 120 on the reserve day), while the final carries 120 extra minutes across its scheduled and reserve days. But none of these provisions apply to Sunday’s India-Pakistan Group A fixture.

A washout would have financial consequences as well. Broadcasters, sponsors, and cricket boards stand to incur heavy losses if the match does not produce a result. Ticket refunds could also impact revenue for the host board. Given the global viewership such clashes attract, the commercial implications are significant.

Meanwhile, India is coming off a 93-run win over Namibia, while Pakistan will look to capitalize on familiarity with Colombo conditions, having spent considerable time there ahead of the tournament.