From Durban to Mirpur and Melbourne to New York, India and Pakistan have traversed the length and the breadth of the cricket world, squaring off against each other in eight T20 World Cup clashes. The ninth showdown has culminated in a Colombo stop, India seeking to make it 8-1 and Pakistan desperate to reduce the unflattering scoreline to 2-7 at the Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.

Rain threat

This match nearly didn’t happen; it still might not if the weather forecast takes an uglier turn and the chances of precipitation increase from between 33 and 51% from 6.30 pm to 11.30 pm to something more serious. That will be both a massive disappointment and a huge irony, given how many forces have been brought into play to convince Pakistan to overturn their February 1 decision to boycott this encounter in solidarity with an aggrieved Bangladesh.