Sanjay Manjrekar slams Pakistan’s boycott threat: ‘Beating them is like beating minnows’

Former Indian cricketer-turned-broadcaster Sanjay Manjrekar has slammed Pakistan’s India-game boycott threat at the 2026 T20 World Cup, saying it doesn’t matter even if that happens, as Pakistan is no longer in India’s league, and that beating them feels like beating a minnow team. Amid all the talks and high stakes related to this game, Manjrekar feels the marquee India-Pakistan fixture no longer holds its hype, and it’s all drama in the lead-up to this match. Meanwhile, his harsh remarks have come on the back of the Pakistan government’s decision to forfeit the scheduled Group A game against India on Feb 15 in Colombo.

“India-Pakistan match, if it does not happen, no big deal. Honestly, for a long time now, the actual game has never lived up to the hype and the drama we built up before the match,” Manjrekar said while speaking on Instagram. “Now, when India beats Pakistan, it is almost like India is beating the minnows. Earlier, you could have felt good on beating Pakistan.”

A Times of India (TOI) report claims that Manjrekar thinks that India’s high-quality contests have now been reduced to a handful of teams, including Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa. Meanwhile, at the 20-team tournament, starting this Saturday (Feb 7), co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the Men in Blue are placed in Group A, alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, the USA, the Netherlands and Namibia.

India-Pakistan T20 WC standoff

The news of Pakistan forfeiting the marquee India game in Colombo broke the internet the past Sunday, with analysts, naysayers, former cricketers, broadcasters and who’s who of the cricket world, commenting on the matter, while speculating its repercussions.

Although the ICC swiftly took note of the matter, replying with a subtle warning to the PCB of the long-term implications of this boycott, they have yet to receive in writing the PCB’s stance on its government’s decision, which reads that Pakistan will not take the field against India in Colombo.

"The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026. However, the Pakistan cricket team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February, 2026, against India," a Government of Pakistan post announced on Sunday.