BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla Hails ICC’s Role in Securing India-Pakistan T20 World Cup Match

India: BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla expressed delight on Tuesday over the resolution that ensures Pakistan will participate in their highly anticipated group-stage match against India on February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Shukla praised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its diplomatic efforts in resolving the issue. “I am delighted to see the outcome of the deliberations initiated by ICC representative, supervised by the ICC Chairman and the representatives who had gone to Lahore to talk to Pakistan Cricket Board as well as Bangladesh Cricket Board,” he said.

Shukla described the agreement as “a good solution, an amicable solution which has been found to give priority to cricket’s importance in the game.” He credited the ICC for taking the initiative, resolving the matter, and bringing cricket back to the forefront, calling it “a big achievement as far as ICC is concerned.”

The BCCI official thanked the ICC for bringing Pakistan to the table and confirmed that the scheduled match would take place. “It’s good news for all of us and the scheduled match for 15th February in Colombo will take place. Pakistan will also play,” Shukla added.

He noted that the World Cup would now be “a big success story,” with Bangladesh’s concerns also addressed through the negotiations. “Bangladesh’s feelings have also been assuaged as far as these negotiations are concerned, and some relief has been given to their board, and they are also happy. In fact, they have praised ICC for its efforts,” he said.

Shukla concluded by describing the outcome as a “win-win situation for everybody,” expressing happiness that the marquee fixture would go ahead and contribute to the tournament’s success.

The resolution follows recent multilateral discussions involving the ICC, PCB, and BCB, amid Pakistan’s earlier announced boycott in solidarity with Bangladesh (which was excluded from certain matches). Pakistan’s government ultimately directed the team to play, paving the way for the clash to proceed in neutral venue Colombo. Fans worldwide now await what promises to be one of cricket’s most electrifying encounters.