- BCCI VP terms talks’ outcome “win-win situation for everybody”.
- Rajeev Shukla thanks ICC for efforts bringing together all parties.
- Senior Indian official expresses optimism for successful World Cup.
Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Vice President Rajeev Shukla has hailed the outcome of the talks between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), International Cricket Council (ICC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over the T20 World Cup 2026.
“I am delighted to see the outcome of the deliberations [in Lahore],” Shukla said while speaking to the Indian media on Tuesday.
His remarks refer to Islamabad’s announcement of allowing the Green Shirts to play their scheduled ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match against India on February 15 in Colombo.
Pakistan had earlier decided not to play against arch-rival India in solidarity with Bangladesh, who were kicked out of the tournament after it refused to travel to India, citing security concerns.
After Pakistan’s announcement, the ICC’s deputy chairman travelled to Lahore on Sunday to discuss the situation with the PCB chief in a meeting attended by the BCB president.
However, in a statement on Monday, the government said that the decision to field the national side against India in the tournament was made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after being briefed by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi regarding the outcomes of high-level deliberations held between the PCB, the ICC and the BCB.
The decision, Islamabad has stressed, was taken to protect the spirit of cricket and support the continuity of this global sport in all participating nations.
Expanding on the development, BCCI VP Shukla termed it a “win-win situation for everybody” and thanked the ICC for its collaborative efforts to bring all the parties together.
“The ICC took steps to resolve the issue, and cricket has returned to the forefront. As far as the ICC is concerned, this is a major success.”
“The scheduling of the match on 15 February is good news,” he remarked.
The BCCI official underscored the positive outcomes for all stakeholders involved, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, and expressed optimism for a successful World Cup.
“Pakistan will play, and this World Cup will become an example of success. It is also good for Bangladesh, as their board was also given relief during the negotiations. The BCB is happy [….] The match will take place, and the World Cup will be a successful event,” Shukla added.
