COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will deploy elite armed units to protect teams at next month’s T20 World Cup, part of enhanced security measures with a special emphasis on matches between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, officials have told AFP.

The island is co-hosting the biennial cricket tournament with India and will hold 20 games from Feb 7 to March 8.

The Indian and Pakistan teams will play each other at least once, in their Group ‘A’ clash in Colombo on Feb 15.

Cricket matches have long been a stage for expressing political tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, which fought a four-day border conflict last year.

Sri Lanka has given the “highest priority” to ensuring the tournament runs smoothly and is “paying special attention to the India-Pakistan matches”, sports minister Sunil Kumara Gamage told AFP late Wednesday.

Elite commando units, usually assigned to guard visiting heads of state, will be deployed to protect all participating teams, police and security officials said.

“From the time they step out of the airport till they return to their aircraft, they will be protected by armed guards,” an official said, asking not to be named.

Pakistan refused to play their fixtures in India due to political hostilities, prompting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift their matches to neutral Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh also tried to have their matches moved out of India due to security fears, but the ICC rejected the request. The move left Bangladesh angry who withdrew from the tournament, and Scotland were drafted in as their replacement.

Pakistan has indicated that it may yet boycott the event in solidarity with Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka maintained a studious silence throughout the India-Bangladesh row.

Sri Lanka Cricket general secretary Bandula Dissanayake told AFP that Colombo wanted to avoid being drawn into regional disputes.

“In these disputes among India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, we are remaining neutral, all of these are friendly nations,” he said.

But he added that Sri Lanka would be willing to host future tournaments for any of the countries if asked.

Sri Lanka has also used the T20 World Cup as an opportunity to upgrade its international venues.

It has commissioned new floodlights at the Singhalese Sports Club, one of two stadiums in Colombo.

The Pallekele Stadium in Kandy was unaffected by a deadly cyclone that damaged buildings in the region in November, and will host a T20 International between Sri Lanka and England from Friday.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2026