The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is set to begin in a few hours with a morning match at the iconic Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo, but rain forecasts have raised concerns over the tournament opener between Pakistan and the Netherlands.

This match marks the first men’s T20 international at SSC in 16 years, making it a historic occasion.

Will rain spoil the T20 World Cup opener in Colombo?

According to AccuWeather, showers are likely in Colombo on February 7, with rainfall probability touching 68%, especially around 1 pm, which could coincide with the middle overs of the Pakistan vs Netherlands match.

Though February is usually part of Sri Lanka’s dry season, the capital has seen persistent rain over the past week. Pakistan’s only warm-up game against Ireland at the same venue was washed out due to rain, raising further concerns for today’s fixture.

Why today’s match matters for Pakistan

Pakistan, led by Salman Agha, are under pressure after announcing they will boycott their February 15 match against India, making every remaining group-stage fixture crucial. 

PAK vs NED squads for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup opener

Netherlands Squad:

Michael Levitt, Max ODowd, Bas de Leede, Zach Lion Cachet, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards(w/c), Noah Croes, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein, Paul van Meekeren, Timm van der Gugten, Saqib Zulfiqar, Fred Klaassen.

Pakistan Squad:

Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Salman Agha(c), Khawaja Nafay(w), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Khan, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq.