'My prayer is...' - Former Pakistan batter makes huge wish ahead of IND vs PAK Match 27 of T20 World Cup 2026

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has stirred debate by saying he would pray for rain to wash out the high-profile India-Pakistan encounter in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 on February 15 in Colombo. With both teams unbeaten so far, the clash has generated massive anticipation. Basit’s remarks reflect the high stakes surrounding the fixture, as a washout would see both sides share points in a tightly contested Group A standings battle.

India have navigated challenging moments despite winning both matches. The USA rattled them at the Wankhede Stadium, reducing them to 46/4 before Suryakumar Yadav’s scintillating 84 off 49 balls rescued the innings in a 29-run win. Against Namibia in Delhi, India posted 209 but endured two mini-collapses before sealing a 93-run victory. Pakistan, meanwhile, survived a dramatic wobble against the Netherlands, slipping from 98/2 to 114/7 in a chase of 148, before Faheem Ashraf’s explosive cameo guided them home.

In their second match, Pakistan were calmer than before and won by 32 runs over USA and remain undefeated in the tournament. Before the match between Pakistan and India the two teams were not certain about playing against each other after Pakistan said they would not play due to solidarity with Bangladesh who had been removed from the tournament due to security issues. However, after having several discussions involving the ICC and the boards involved, the issue was resolved. As anticipation grows in Colombo, Basit reaffirmed that he prefers both arch rivals will split the points and rain win the match.

“Meri toh dua hai Allah Ta’ala baarish kar de (My prayer is that Allah Ta’ala makes it rain.),” Ali said on A Sports.

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Pakistan just about survived: Basit Ali 

AccuWeather predicts cloudy conditions in Colombo on Sunday, with a few showers expected and a 93% probability of rainfall. Ali remarked that Pakistan had just about survived and added that when Shaheen Shah Afridi was called in to bat, it reflected how poorly Pakistan’s batting had performed in that game. He criticized the middle order for bad batsmanship, especially Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, and Shadab Khan.

The former Pakistan batter also pointed out that they were experienced players who had featured in leagues around the world, including the Pakistan Super League, but said that instead of becoming heroes for Pakistan, they had ended up being “zeroes.” The prolofoc batter also further questioned who the real match-winner in the Pakistan team was and said it was disappointing that fans celebrated a wicket falling only because it meant Babar Azam would come out to bat, only for him to depart cheaply. He added that the real star for Pakistan that day had been Faheem Ashraf, who batted at No. 8, and sarcastically asked whether the rest of the batters had been “selling peanuts” instead of performing.

“Pakistan bach gaya bhai! (Pakistan just about survived). When Shaheen Shah Afridi is called in to bat, you can imagine what Pakistan’s batting did in that game. Bad batsmanship by the middle order, especially Babar Azam, Nawaz and Shadab Khan. These are experienced players. They have played not just in leagues across the world, but also in the Pakistan Super League. Today, they did not become heroes for Pakistan; they ended up being zeroes. Who is a match-changer in the Pakistan team? What are you going to say to a country’s fans who get happy when a wicket falls just because it means that Babar Azam will come to bat? But then Babar comes and goes. Today’s star for Pakistan was Faheem Ashraf, who came in at No 8. Baaki batsman chanafali bech rahe the kya? (Were the rest of the batters selling peanuts?), " Ali had said.