India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will face Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2026 match at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 15. The pitch is likely to play a major role, with the slow surface setting up a battle between the spinners and batters from both teams in the much-anticipated clash.

Pakistan have four spin options, including Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Tariq, and Shadab Khan, while Saim Ayub offers an extra spin option. In Pakistan’s last match against the USA, Tariq claimed three wickets, and Shadab picked up two. Nawaz and Abrar also made an impact, taking one wicket each.

Pakistan Focus on Spin Ahead of India Clash

Pakistan focused heavily on spin during their net session on Friday. All their spinners bowled long spells as part of the preparations. Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan bowled together to left-handers Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman.

Usman Tariq and Mohammad Nawaz bowled to Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Khan and Agha Salman. Later in the evening, the spinners also bowled to Shaheen Shah Afridi. Saim Ayub also rolled his arm over after completing his batting drills.

Pakistan are expected to play five spin options against India, including Abrar, Tariq, Nawaz, Shadab and Ayub. Former Pakistan spinner Imad Wasim has warned that if India attack too aggressively, this spin-heavy attack could cause problems.

For India, the key batter against spin will be Shivam Dube. His main role is to take on the spinners in the middle overs, and he has done that job well so far. The battle between Dube and Pakistan’s spinners is expected to be one of the highlights of the match.

Shivam Dube Has Been in Brutal Form This Year

Shivam Dube is one of the best batters against spin in India’s T20I side. The left-hander has been in brutal form this year, showing a clear ability to dominate wrist spin and mystery bowlers during the middle overs.

Dube smashed a 15-ball fifty, the third-fastest by an Indian in T20Is, during the T20I series against New Zealand last month. He has already hit 13 sixes in just six innings in 2026 and has the ability to clear 100-metre boundaries even on slow, turning surfaces.

The southpaw has scored 779 runs in 57 T20Is at an average of 27.82 and a strike rate of 149.52, including five half-centuries. In 2026, he has scored 140 runs in six innings at an average of 35.00 and an outstanding strike rate of 218.75.

Shivam Dube’s Growing Dominance Against Spin

Shivam Dube has grown into a major threat against spin, making him a key batter against Pakistan’s spin-heavy plans. In T20Is, he has scored 268 runs against spin in 27 innings at a strike rate of 155.8, hitting 23 sixes from just 172 balls.

In 2019, Shivam Dube scored at a strike rate of only 80.0 against slow bowlers. That began to change in 2024, when he scored 114 runs in 10 innings at an average of 38.0.

In 2026, Dube has taken his game to another level. He is striking at an incredible rate of 286.4 against spin, the highest of his career, and has smashed seven sixes from just 22 balls. His dot-ball percentage has dropped to just 9.1% this year.