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The decision by Pakistan to bar its national team from playing India in the T20 World Cup 2026 has raised serious concerns over potential financial losses exceeding a quarter of a billion dollars globally.
Industry reports estimate that each India-Pakistan cricket encounter between 2023 and 2027 could generate around US$250 million under the $3 billion ICC broadcast agreement with JioStar, sources said.
Sami Ul Hasan, former ICC communications head, told Al Jazeera that scheduling India-Pakistan games is driven entirely by revenue and viewership priorities, rather than team rankings or competitive fairness in events.
The India-Pakistan match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 set a new record in India, attracting 206 million linear TV viewers and exceeding 26 billion minutes of total watch-time across platforms.
Viewership for that high-profile game surpassed the 2023 World Cup India-Pakistan game by more than 10 per cent, demonstrating the unmatched popularity and commercial significance of matches between the archrivals.
The India-Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 clash in the United States drew 256 million viewing hours in India alone, with advertisers capitalising on the massive audience, according to broadcast data.
During the 2022 T20 World Cup, India alone accounted for 256 million viewing hours, while the pandemic-era 2021 tournament in UAE and Oman attracted 167 million TV viewers and 15.9 billion minutes watched.
The ODI World Cup 2023 in India reached a peak of 35 million concurrent viewers, highlighting global interest in cricket and the enduring appeal of major international tournaments.
In women’s cricket, the 2025 ODI World Cup match between India and Pakistan broke digital records, reaching 28.4 million viewers and 1.87 billion minutes watched, becoming the most-viewed women’s international cricket match ever.
earlier today it was reported that the recent move from the government of Pakistan has prompted the International Cricket Council (ICC) to begin back-channel efforts to resolve the issue.
A well-placed source also confirmed that a couple of other cricket boards have stepped in to assist the ICC in reaching a settlement with the Pakistan Cricket Board to avoid major financial losses.
