Armed guards assigned, special request conveyed to fans: All security arrangements for India-Pakistan T20 World Cup game

Here are all the security arrangements for the T20 World Cup Group A match between India and Pakistan in Colombo.

The Sri Lankan Police are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the highest possible security for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 match between India and Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 15. According to news agency PTI, special arrangements are already in place with the authorities, ensuring that no chances will be taken with the organisation's security. The officials have already employed armed guards for both teams, and they have been there “from the time they stepped out of the airport.”

India's captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan's captain Salman Agha. (Asian Cricket Council)

Both the Indian and Pakistani teams will be provided with armed guards till they return to the aircraft. The spectators have also been advised to arrive at the venue four hours early for the 7 PM IST start. The gates for fans at the stadium will open at 3 PM, and supporters have been urged to turn up at the venue as early as possible so they don't face any hassle entering the Premadasa.

"We, the Sri Lanka police, have organised a very special traffic and security arrangement," police spokesman FT Wootler told reporters on Saturday, according to PTI.

The buildup for the Group A match between India and Pakistan has been far from ideal. For weeks, there was uncertainty after the Government of Pakistan announced a boycott of the India game to show solidarity with Bangladesh, which was shown the door from the tournament after the side refused to travel to India.

Following this announcement, back-channel talks happened between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), and finally a U-turn came about.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan government had also appealed to Pakistan to reconsider their stance, and even Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) wrote to the PCB. Once Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made the call to reverse his own decision, he was thanked by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Heightened security

Earlier, the Sri Lankan government said the highest possible security measures would be in place for the India-Pakistan match so that no untoward incident occurs during the clash. The contest between the two teams is already sold out, and the venue is expected to be packed to the rafters.

The upcoming match against Pakistan will be India's first away from home in the tournament.

Both India and Pakistan are undefeated in the T20 World Cup 2026 so far, winning their opening two matches. The upcoming contest will be the ninth time these two sides have met in the tournament.

India have won seven matches against Pakistan in the competition, while the latter's only victory came 4.5 years ago, in 2021, when they defeated Virat Kohli's side by 10 wickets in Dubai.