“Backing out of a World Cup for what?” - Sourav Ganguly slams Pakistan for their boycott drama

Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly has opined on the Pakistan government’s decision to boycott the group stage clash against India on Sunday, February 15, in Colombo, while playing all other games in the showpiece event.

Speaking to the reporters, the former skipper also stated that every match in the ICC mega event is very important, adding that he was very surprised to see Pakistan backing out of the main game of the event.

"Backing out of a World Cup for what. They are playing in Sri Lanka, in any case. I am surprised by Pakistan backing out. In a World Cup, every point is important,” Ganguly told reporters.

Furthermore, Ganguly also heaped praise on the Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who scored an unbeaten 84-run knock against the United States of America, taking India to an impressive win in the campaign opener.

"This is a very powerful and strong team with all the balances - bowling, batting, and fielding. As the World Cup goes, they will get better. They are the favourites to win the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup," Ganguly told reporters.

"He (Surya) came in this tournament after scoring a lot of runs. He is a champion T20 player,” he added.

In the match between India and the USA, after being asked to bat first, the Indian team posted a good-looking total of 161/9 in 20 overs. Captain Suryakumar was impressive with an unbeaten knock of 84 off 49 deliveries.

For the USA, Shadley van Schalkwyk (4/29) and Harmeet Singh (2/26) were among the wicket-takers. In the chase, the USA were restricted to 132/8 as they lost the match by 29 runs. For India, Mohammed Siraj (3/29), Axar Patel (2/24), and Arshdeep Singh (2/18) scalped important wickets.

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